Stranded in the Dark
by Shadows Light
Summary: What happens when humans and autobots fall for each other? Meant to be just a drabble, turned into something huge. MikaelaxOptimus...some violence, blood, gore, etc. Lots of angst.
1. Chapter 1

Mikaela slammed the door to Sam's house behind her as she angrily brushed tears from her face. She had had another fight with Sam, and it frustrated her to no end that she was in tears. Again. He was so...wrong for her. She knew it, and he knew it too. She was wrong for him, they were just wrong for each other. They both could tell, and it was only a matter of time before the final breakup. She could really tell they were finished this time. she felt a strange sense of relief at this, and at the same time, an inexplicable sadness. After all, who else had been through what they had? She stalked out of his front yard and towards the road, aware that she had no car yet powerless to do anything. Bumblebee was faithfully loyal to Sam and if they had a fight, it would be Sam he sided with. She had no idea where any of the other Autobots were. She felt childish for being so angry, but at the same time justified. She sat on the curb, dejectedly staring at her cell phone. She didn't even notice the low roar of a semi-truck rolling up beside her. She didn't see it until she heard a deep voice speaking to her.

"Mikaela."

She started, then smiled up at the red and blue semi parked in the street next to her. The passenger door popped open, and she gratefully pulled herself into the vehicle. The engine road, and soon they were driving down the dusty highway in silence. Optimus veered off the beaten path and stopped at an overlook, not unlike the one Bee had taken Sam and Mikaela. Mikaela climbed out of the semi, and watched in fascination as Optimus transformed, his gears whirring and clicking into place, bright blue fiber optic eyes gazing quietly into her own. He held out a hand without saying anything, and she climbed onto it. Lifting her up onto his shoulder, he let out a deep sigh that made Mikaela feel sad. She was never sure how to act around Optimus. He always seemed so quiet, so in control, and yet so sad.

"I don't know how to act around him anymore, Optimus. We are so different." She said quietly, unsure of herself and the whole situation. "I feel...like I've been ripped in two. Part of me says, yes, everything is fine...yet the other part of me is screaming out 'No, this isn't right. Nothing about this is right!'" She felt strange confiding in Optimus, yet immeasurably comfortable at the same time. She felt him shift, as though he was trying to decide on what to say, how to respond. She leaned back, resting her hands against the surprisingly warm metal of his shoulders. She briefly wondered if he could feel it.

"Whatever you think is best Mikaela. Only you can know the answer for certain." Optimus seemed hesitant in his answer, almost as though he was refraining from saying more. Mikaela smiled to herself. Optimus, always the leader, always so careful with his words. They were always of encouragement, words of faith and hope.

"Optimus...can you feel things? Like the way we do? Can you feel me sitting here?" Mikaela ventured, running her hands over his broad shoulders, curious. She pressed her hands on the metal, feeling the warmth from his shoulders flowing into her hands. She thought she felt Optimus shudder before he answered.

"We do feel things..." He said slowly, as though trying to formulate vocabulary she would understand. "When we feel, it is as a pressure, a warmth. I imagine it is very similar to how you feel things. We are sentient, and while we are robotic, we are also DNA based organisms. We think, feel and breathe, though not in the exact same way you do." Mikaela nodded slowly to herself. She had a million questions, questions she had never asked, nor dared to even think before. She rested her head softly against the side of his, tracing the hieroglyphs on the side of his helm with her pointer finger.

"Do you love?" She asked after a long moments pause. Optimus seemed to give a heavy sigh, and turned his head to look at her. She still had never really quite gotten over how huge he really was, and what it was like to look into those bright blue fiber optic eyes. She wasn't afraid anymore, however. She leaned closer to him and scanned his face, waiting for an answer.

"Love...that is so complex. Humans believe they are the only creatures upon earth capable of love...but how often do they really look around themselves? Mammals around your small world show as much compassion daily as the human race. Our race shows this same compassion to one another. We had females...although I fear most of them are now gone. If there are any survivors, then they have not received my message." Optimus sounded so sad, Mikaela had to stifle tears. But she felt as though she had to hear more.

"Did you have someone special?" She asked quietly, her voice almost inaudible to any human that may have been listening. Optimus, however, was not human, and heard everything she said. His head swiveled away from her, staring out into the now evening sky.

"No." His answer was soft, but short. Mikaela felt an immeasurable sadness emitting from Optimus. His home was now on an alien planet where they must hide from humans. She felt ridiculously stupid, but she acted on instinct and pressed her lips softly to the side of his head. The metal was warm under her lips, and a slight static charge sent a tingle through her entire body.

"I'm sorry." She whispered. Again, his head swiveled back towards her. She swore she could see sadness in his eyes. And something else too...was it possible to read emotion through robotic eyes? She wondered if her own eyes gave away the strange feelings stirring inside her. Strange...yet wonderfully pleasant.

Optimus leaned heavily back against a tree, Mikaela holding on tightly. He couldn't think straight, he couldn't tell what was happening with him. For as long as he could remember, he had been battling Decepticons, first on his own home, then on Earth. He had had no time at home for female companionship, and the lack of autobots on Earth seriously diminished his chances of ever having any. Yet he could feel deep rumblings within his chest at the thought of Mikaela. And when her lips had pressed against his head, he had most certainly felt it. He had felt every second of it, from her soft lips to her breath as she had whispered. He forced the thoughts out of his head. She was a human. Not only were they a totally different species, but he was also much bigger. And he would also live much longer than her. Nothing would ever come of it. Yet her presence was so comforting, so delightfully fulfilling.

They sat like that for a long time watching the stars in silence. Mikaela was the first to break the silence.

"Do...robots reproduce?" She asked shakily. She felt utterly stupid for asking, and was horrifed at herself for continuing an obviously sensitive topic. But instead Optimus laughed.

"The Allspark was used for that, Mikaela."

"Then how...do you...do robots..." Mikaela's cheeks were burning and she couldn't finish her question. Optimus chuckled.

"We don't..mate as humans do. But like I said before, we share companionship. We merge sparks. It is actually a rather pleasing process." He said slowly. He turned his head to look at her, bringing a hand up for her to climb onto. He held her up in front of his face, staring thoughtfully into her eyes. He gently set her down on the grass. Gears clicking and whirring, and right before Mikaela's eyes, a red and blue semi truck sat.

"It's late." Those few words were all he said. Mikaela drew a heavy breath, and feeling more than a little disappointed, got in the passenger side.

-----

Sam and Mikaela officially broke up the next day. There wasn't a lot of sadness between them, simply more of a mutual understanding. It was hard, as all breakups were, but they agreed to be friends, which Mikaela honestly thought was possible. After everything they had been through together, she was confident he was one of her closest friends. She was pretty sure that Sam felt the same was as she did as well, which was comforting. What wasn't comforting, however, was the odd feeling that had been stirring in her chest for many months about Optimus. Mikaela was frustrated after her talk with him. She didn't know what to think or feel about it. She hadn't seen him yet today, although she had seen Bumblebee in Sam's driveway as she was leaving. She had given him a small wave as she had left and while she received no vocal response, she could have sworn as she left she could hear a quiet refrain of "Baby, come back..." She frowned to herself, wondering what in the hell that could have possibly meant, but simply shrugged it off as she walked down the sidewalk towards her home.

_I should really get a car_...She thought to herself as she strolled down the sidewalk, taking in all the scenes around her. Sam's neighborhood was very nice, unlike her own shotgun housing complex just outside of town. She watched children playing in a yard nearby, and smiled to herself. Although she didn't want children of her own, seeing them happy and safe made her smile, and it reminded her of when she was young and carefree, without strange feelings for a robot. Dammit...there he was again, creeping back into her thoughts like a snake. She pushed Optimus out of her mind and tried to concentrate more on where she was going. She didn't know Sam's neighborhood all that well. Bee usually drove them everywhere, and she had never paid attention to detail before. The sun was going down, and it was starting to get chilly outside. She wished she had brought a jacket with her. Her feet were also starting to hurt. She shivered, and thought about calling Sam for a ride home, or even directions. She was starting to get lost, and the further away from Sam's nice neighborhood she was, the more uncomfortable she was. She stopped at an intersection, peering at the street signs when she heard a low rumble of thunder. Terrific. That's exactly what she needed. She sighed and pulled out her cell phone to call Sam, totally oblivious to the fact that there were now three large men standing behind her.

"Hey there gorgeous...no ride home tonight?" Mikaela froze, the gruff voice rasping in her ear. Oh, shit. She slowly turned around and addressed him, fear almost rendering her speechless as she saw the other two as well.

"I have a ride, thanks. He's on his way here." Mikaela hoped they didn't hear the fear in her voice, or the lie. She hadn't had a chance to call Sam yet. She risked a look at her cell phone, trying to bring Sam's number up as quickly as possible.

"Aw now, come on. Let me give you a ride home. You look lost. Besides, it's starting to rain." If anything, the man was right. She could feel droplets splattering on her head and running down her scalp. She found Sam's number with relief, and pressed DIAL.

"No thank you. I told you, I'm waiting for someone. He will be here any second." She said firmly, pressing the phone to her ear, desperately waiting for Sam's voice on the line. The man smirked at her, beady eyes skimming her up and down. He reached out and snatched the cell phone away from her, closing it with a snap.

"Well now. If he was already on his way, why would you be needing to call him, eh? Right Jake, Alan?" The man sneered at her and the other two in the background cracked their knuckles and watching her with anticipation.

"I wasn't calling him. I was calling my mother to let her know I'm on my way home. I'll have my phone back now, thanks." She reached out and snatched for it, but the man was too fast for her. Her jerked it away, and Mikaela lost her balance, crashing into the two men standing behind the speaker. They each grabbed one of her arms and held onto her tightly.

"You mother, eh? Your mother's name is Sam?" The man had opened her phone and looked at the last dialed number. Christ, this man didn't miss a beat. Hadn't Sam seen that she called? Where was he? Why hadn't he called back? She'd give anything to see her ex-boyfriend right about now. Or anyone she knew, really. She was in a strange part of town, at night, being held by two very large men. _What a terrible situation I've put myself in..._ She was terrified. She was temporarily relieved when she heard her phone start to ring. She just KNEW it was Sam...it had to be. But the relief didn't last long, the call was cut off as Bernie snapped her phone in half.

"Now what Bernie?" The man on her right that Bernie had called Jake asked. Bernie gave her a nasty grin.

"Put her in the van, we'll give her a ride."

_Oh, like hell you will_, She thought grimly as she wrenched her arm from the two thugs and brought her elbow up and into Jake's face. She felt a satisfying crunch as his nose broke, and she quickly turned around and brought her knee up into Alan's groin before he could grab her again. She turned to run, not caring about her cell phone, and ran directly into Bernie. _Shit_. He grabbed her and pinned her arms behind her back, and as she struggled she saw Jake wipe blood off his face with an angry jerk. She didn't see anything else after that for a moment; the world had suddenly gone black as Jake's blow took her by surprise. She felt her jaw crack, and blood began to flow from a cut on her lip. She braced herself for the next blow. She saw black again, but this time it wasn't due to a blow. Something very, very large was now blocking all of the moonlight and streetlights. The brightest light she had ever seen was shining down on them. Bernie had relaxed his grip on her and seemed frozen to the spot. Alan and Jake had each tried running, but a large metallic foot stopped them in their tracks.

"Stop." A deep gravelly voice said, and Mikaela almost passed out with relief. Optimus. She wrenched herself away from Bernie and ran to Optimus, crying in relief and pain. Her attackers froze, huddling together as they stared up at Optimus. His light clicked off, and they were able to see the full effect of the Autobot. His bright blue fiber optic eyes were glaring at the men, his metallic features arranged in an expression of such anger Mikaela was frightened of him herself. She could hear his internal gears shifting as he settled into his fully transformed state. He bent down on one knee and looked at the three men straight in the eyes.

"Get away." He said in the coldest voice Mikaela had ever heard, and the men didn't need to be told twice. All three ran in the opposite direction as fast as they could.

Mikaela sank against Optimus' foot, leaning heavily on him for support. Her jaw was screaming in pain, but she ignored it and relished in the fact of who had just saved her life.

"Thank you, Optimus." Mikaela said, holding her hand to her cheek where she had been struck. "I don't know how much longer they were going to stand there...they were going to put me in a van...and take me...I don't even know where." She didn't know what to say. Optimus reached a hand down, and she eagerly climbed onto it. She thought she felt him tremble slightly at her touch, but she brushed it off. He held her up in front of his face, and she couldn't help but stare in total wonder at the complexity of his entire being. His eyes shone the brightest blue, and had seen so many things throughout the many millennia he had been alive. Her eyes scanned his features...so metallic, yet so indescribably alive. She leaned forward and touched his cheek, warm metal sending a static spark through her hand and into the pit of her belly.

"Are you hurt? Would you like me to take you to Ratchet?" Optimus asked, running basic diagnostic scans on her.

"No, lets just get out of here." She said urgently, looking at their surroundings. The rain was coming down hard now, soaking her to the bone.

Optimus gave a nod, and set her down. Once she knew he was finished changing, the final gears settlign solidly into place, she climbed into the semi trucks drivers seat and shut the door. Driverless vehicles tended to freak people out. She could hear music faintly playing on the radio, which surprised her. Then again, she had never really ridden with Optimus before, just Sam and Bee. She leaned back in the remarkably comfortable seat and closed her eyes, just now realizing how badly her jaw really did hurt. She didn't know if it was broken or not, but it definitely hurt. She wiped her face with the bottom of her shirt, trying to get some of the blood off. She looked at her wet sleeve and was horrified to see it covered in blood. That asshole must have hit her pretty hard. She stared out the window angrily, momentarily wishing Optimus had just killed the pricks. She sighed and berated herself for thinking things like that. Pushing the thought out of her mind, she stared out the window, watching as rain formed little rivulets as it ran down the window.

"How did you find me?" She asked quietly. She knew he could hear her

"It was quite easy, I simply tracked the call you placed to Sam's phone." She frowned.

"Really?" She asked, impressed.

"When Sam saw that you called, he called you back. When you didn't answer, he called a few more times, but he said your phone was just 'going straight to voicemail,' I think is how he put it. He informed Bumblebee of this, who forwarded the information on to me. That's how I knew something was wrong, and that you were in potential danger. I was correct on that, I think. I do not think those men meant you well." She shook her head.

"No, they didn't." She said ruefully, pressing fingers against her sore jaw.

"I think the rain is letting up." Mikaela said, changing the subject. "Can we maybe stop? I don't want to go home right now." In response to her question, Optimus took a sharp turn, and drove off the road and into the woods. Mikaela stepped out of the truck, and waited for him to change. Gears were still shifting as he sat on the ground and leaned against a tree.

"Are you all right?" He asked her, staring at her in concern.

"I'm okay. I just got a little knocked around." She said, rubbing her sore jaw. It definitely wasn't broken, thankfully. She looked up, and was surprised to see anger flicker across his face.

"I am glad I did not see them hurt you, Mikaela." He said, his voice lower and angrier than ever before.

"Why?" Mikaela asked curiously. Optimus seemed to search for words.

"I care for you." Optimus said quietly.

"You care for all humans." Mikaela stated as she stared into his optics, which narrowed as they focused in on her.

"Yes, in a sense that I must protect them. With you, it is..." He paused, searching for words, "Different." He couldn't believe he was admitting something like that. It wasn't like him at all.

"How is it different?" Her emotions were running wild, something was desperatly trying to surface, soemthing she had fought to keep hidden. Staring at him now, she felt excited, nervous, and apprehensive all at the same time. Optimus gave a grunt and didn't answer for quite some time. Instead he picked her up and placed her very carefully on his chest, watching her as she made herself as comfortable as she could get, grasping at the reinforced windows that comprised of some of his chest. She looked him in the eyes, and repeated the question.

"How, Optimus? Please tell me how I am different. I think...I would really like to know." Her question was heavy with implied emotions and meanings. Optimus' heavy lids closed off his blue eyes, and she searched his face for the expressions of emotion she knew he could emit.

"It is so very complicated. On our planet, we did know love. We knew happiness, sadness, fear, all emotions. Our emotions are the same, you and I. And what you felt yesterday when we spoke, the sadness, the..." He paused here...searching for a word. "What is the word humans use to describe...pain of the heart from sadness?" Mikaela thought for a moment.

"Heartbreak?"

"Yes. We experience that too. And it is not something I would want to happen to your, nor myself." He said, reopening his eyes and staring directly into her own. Mikaela stared right back, defiant as ever, tears having vanished.

"Tell me how I am different." Mikaela steeled herself for the answer. She had to know. Perhaps this was the reason for all the fights between her and Sam. Because someone...something else was on her mind, flickering in memories and hiding just far enough behind the breaches of her mind that she was uncertain what to make of them for months. She had noticed that Optimus had been around more often that not, especially lately, and especially when her and Sam were together. She remembered thinking at the time that she was glad he was there, but Sam had been almost...irritated.

"Mikaela..." Optimus stared down at her, not knowing what to say. "The emotions I feel for you are far different than anything I've ever felt. I do not know how to put it into words. But do you not understand? I could never hurt you. I realize that nothing could ever happen...between us, the things that I would have happen never can, and even if it did it would only cause pain and...heartbreak. For you. For...us." Optimus felt wretchedly out of character. This was nothing like his normal, cool, level headed self. He was always so rational, focused, task oriented. But now, this little beautiful human girl was rattling him to the core, as she had since he had first laid eyes on her.

"What if I told you I didn't care? That none of that mattered? That...I know what you are trying to say, and that I feel the same way?" Mikaela asked quickly, trying to get the words out before she lost her courage.

"Mikaela, I-"

"Shh..." She shushed him, as she slid a little lower, sliding her small hands in between his heavy metal chest plate. Pulling slightly, she could see the bright blue spark inside of him, pulsing slowly as though it were a heart. She was playing with dangerous fire here, and she knew it. But then again, she had done that her whole life.

"Don't..." He said slowly, although he heard himself rumble when he hands slipped closer to the spark. Mikaela didn't miss the rumble and was delighted that it was of her own doing. She was slightly unsure of herself, but she gained confidence with that rumble. This was the moment was when she realized all the pent up feeling, the anger, the bottled emotions were ready to flow out freely, and she was finally able to admit to herself what she had been denying for months. Clearing her throat, she spoke, her voice low and husky.

"Optimus, when I first met you, I'll admit I was terrified. I no longer am now, and for many months I have been denying what I knew I'd felt for you all along. And now...now I realize what I do feel, and what I need to say." She slid her hands closer to his spark, close enough for her to feel tendrils of electricity crawling through her hands and deep inside her body. She felt a little gasp, and she wasnt sure if it was from him, or herself. It was nothing like being shocked, and nothing like she ever would have expected. She hadn't really expected it to feel so...good. She felt Optimus shudder again, although this time it was accompanied with a slight groan of appreciation.

"I...love you. I want to be near you, with you, around you always. I kept denying it before because...I was scared. Maybe because of what other people would think or say, but not anymore. I'm not scared any more, Optimus. Ever since I met you I know I have changed. I've grown up." She pushed her hands deeper, letting her entire being soak up the energy from the spark, tingling and pleasing sensations racking her body, although she was ever careful to not emerge herself too deeply. She wasn't sure of the effects, but she didn't really care.

"Mikaela...please..." Optimus was having trouble forming his words. He couldn't even begin to describe the effect her words were having on him, nor what her tiny human hands were doing to him. He had, of course, merged sparks with other females on his planet, but Mikaela's hands were so...alive. They pulsed with being and life.

"Do you want me to stop?" Mikaela drew her hands back a little worried she had gone to far, maybe she had misunderstood him.

"This can't be." He said shakily. Her hands were still inside his chest armor, and it was hard for him to think clearly. "You don't realize...the consequences...what will or could happen..." He was clawing for words, anything to make her stop so she wouldn't get hurt. He couldn't hurt her, never. He wouldn't. He refused.

"What will or could happen was never my point, Optimus." Mikaela said steadily. "And I'm perfectly willing to accept consequences." Optimus shook his head shakily.

"I can not...you, you will grow old. And eventually die. I can't...I don't think I could handle that...perhaps it is best...if we leave now. And speak of this to no one." Mikaela withdrew her hands angrily.

"What was it you always said, Optimus? Humans deserve to choose for themselves. I'm choosing you and you refuse to let me make that choice." She thought she had him there. He looked at her sadly.

"You do have the right to choose. As do I. And...I choose to refuse you, for your own happiness." His words cut her like a knife. It was a hundred times worse than what the thug had done to her. Her jaw no longer ached, though she paid it no mind. She turned away from him, sliding slowly down his chest and onto the ground. Her eyes caught a glint of yellow off in the woods, but she brushed it off, whirling around to face Optimus again.

"Take me home." Her words were harsh, guttural, nothing like the pleasing tones she had been speaking in before.

"And know this- by refusing me, you have caused what you sought to avoid. Heartbreak."


	2. Chapter 2

This chapter is mainly filler. It's just some info that I've noticed people tend to leave out. Oh ok, main character looses cell phone but magically has another one in chapter 10! That kind of thing. Hope it isnt to terribly boring. Most of chapter 4 is already done. I'm just tweaking it and I'll upload when I get home from work tomorrow. Thanks go to Goo Goo Dolls for the song lyrics.

* * *

Mikaela was, needless to say, crushed. She also felt like an idiot. She didn't really want to get back into the semi, but seeing as it was nighttime and she had no other way home, she had to. She crawled into the semi, not really saying much of anything. The radio was playing faintly in the background, and she could just barely make out the wistful strains of a Goo Goo Dolls song. 

_And I'd give up forever to touch you _

_Cause I know that you feel me somehow _

_You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be _

_And I don't want to go home right now..._

She felt like crying. The lyrics to the song were killing her. She tried to tune it out, but it was the only audible sound other than Optimus' motor. She was so frustrated with everything, herself, and the whole situation. She had spilled herself to him and he had rejected her. Her last bitter words to Optimus were breaking her own heart. She didn't know what to think about what had happened that night, or what she had said. Or what she had done. She could feel her cheeks flushing as she thought about what she had done to Optimus. But he had seemed like he had enjoyed it, and that at least made her feel better. Thinking about this was only making her feel worse. She turned her thoughts to different things. Like, how she was going to explain her swollen jaw. She reached up, searching for a drop down mirror, and not finding one, dug into her purse and pulled out a small compact. She popped it open and peered into it, probing her jaw. Her eyes lit up in surprise as she poked at it. It was totally healed. She couldn't explain it, and she was still angry with Optimus, so she decided she would ask Ratchet next time she saw him.

It was so quiet and tense in the truck Mikaela felt as though she could slice it with a knife. The only sound at the moment was the radio, which was still playing quietly amongst her thoughts.

_And I don't want the world to see me _

_Cause I don't think that they'd understand _

_When everything's made to be broken _

_I just want you to know who I am..._

She leaned her head up against the window, crying quietly to herself.

_And all I can taste is this moment _

_And all I can breathe is your life _

_Cause sooner or later it's over _

_I just don't want to miss you tonight..._

"Optimus...stop. I can't take this right now. Please, turn off the radio." Mikaela quietly begged. Without a word, the radio clicked off. It was just her and road noise now, which almost seemed worse. The rest of the way home was long, quiet and awkward. Not another word was exchanged between the two that night.

* * *

The next day, Mikaela rose from her bed slowly. It was after noon when she finally got up, which was highly unusual for her. She was normally out of bed at around eight in the morning. She slowly got dressed for the day and not bothering to shower. She threw her blood soaked shirt from the night before in the garbage as she walked out into the kitchen. With her father in jail awaiting parole and her mother dead, she lived alone. It wasn't too bad, although working and trying to go to high school could sometimes be difficult. She had lost her job when she had been helping the Autobots. Somehow her manager just didn't understand that the universe needed saving. Thankfully, for her help, the government had supplied her with enough money to keep her relatively comfortable. However she still lived frugally, trying to save as much as she could until she found another job. That money would come in handy today, when she went to get a new cell phone to replace the one that had been snapped in half. She should probably go car shopping as well since her scooter was destroyed when Sam ripped her from it, saving her from Barricade. The thought gave her a twinge. She missed Sam. She hadn't thought she would miss him...not like that. But she didn't think she would be able to rely on Sam any longer, and she didn't want to rely on Optimus. Ironhide and Ratchet were usually pretty busy, but with what she didn't know. She needed to speak with Ratchet about her jaw, but she had no idea when she would see him again. 

It was a hot day. She pulled her hair back carelessly into a ponytail, grabbed her keys and purse and left. She headed towards the first car dealership she saw. Mikaela paced around the lot, taking everything in but not really seeing anything she liked. The place seemed cheap anyway, but it honestly didn't matter. She wanted something to just get her around. She finally settled on an old, beat up pink motorbike, complete with pink helmet. It seemed to suit her personality. Paying in cash, she was able to take the keys and drive off with it, making her way towards the mall.

After shopping for a few hours for a cell phone, she finally picked one out and paid for it. She walked out side, and after shoving her new purchase into a compartment under the seat cushion, she drove home, her head aching with thoughts of yesterday, and also of Sam. She toyed with the idea of stopping by, to show him her new bike. HE was probably out somewhere with Bee though. He had seemed to like spending more time with Bee than her. Probably because they had more in common. She still wanted to see him, talk to him though. She knew she wouldn't dare bring up what had happened with Optimus, but she really wanted to see Sam. She only hesitated because the breakup was so fresh, and still stinging a bit, and although they parted as friends it had still hurt.

It was several days before she actually worked up the nerve and the guts to call Sam.


	3. Chapter 3

Mikaela frowned as she closed her cell phone. Sam still wasn't answering. They were on pretty good speaking terms now, and hanging out more often. It had been several weeks since her conversation with Optimus, and she had hardly seen him since. Every time they had crossed paths, he had said only what was necessary to her. Optimus like the autobots to have weekly meetings for everyone to keep in touch, and to also speak of the chance of other Autobot's coming. Optimus had sent his message through the stars, although that had been months ago, and there was no response. Flipping open her phone again, she dialed Sam again. She'd been calling all morning, but there was no answer, either on his home phone or his cell phone. It worried her. She wasn't used to him not being right there…selfish of her, yes, especially since they weren't even together anymore, but still. Something wasn't right. It had been since the last meeting that she had spoken with any of the autobots and they had seemed…tense. Yes, tense would be the most appropriate word. Optimus had been silent as she had expected, but Bumblebee had acted like he was uptight about something and didn't speak much. She couldn't explain it, and neither could Sam. Ratchet and Ironhide had both seemed uptight as well. Something just wasn't right. She threw her cell phone across her room, and sat on her bed.

Reaching over and flicking on the computer, she decided to check her email for the hundredth time that morning. Maybe Sam had sent her a message. She sighed. Nothing. She felt as though she was slowly being pushed out of Sam's circle of friends. She had her own friends, sure…but they were just shallow girls. She supposed she kept company with them only because she was expected too, not because she actually liked them. As the months had passed after Optimus defeated Megatron, she had realized that the people she used to keep company with were just…superficial. Now that she and Sam were back in school, she tended to just stay near Sam and avoided any contact with her old friends. She missed Sam when he wasn't around especially since he was now her only human friend, although she kept cautioning herself not to fall for him again. Something wasn't right. Sighing, she stood up and retrieved her cell phone, and flipped it open to dial his number again when the phone rang in her hand. It was Sam.

"Hey…" She answered on the first ring, anxious for any kind of news at all.

"Where are you?" No hi, how are you, no remarks, just an odd urgency in his voice that left a million questions in her mind.

"I'm at home…Why?" She asked, her fear mounting. She threw her wallet and keys into her purse.

"I'm on my way. We're going to the Clearing." Click. She frowned at the phone, urgency forming deep in the pit of her belly. Something was definitely not right. She quickly laced up her shoes and grabbed her purse and ran outside, sitting beside her old bike. She glanced at it as she waited, thinking that it was really rather nice, it was just severely scuffed up. She had yet to find any brand name on it, although she knew it was no Harley. A pink Harley? Hah! The low price on the vehicle had made her wonder, but the all the dealer had said was that it had just showed up, as though someone had just abandoned it outside. She didn't care either way, it ran, it was pink, so therefore she loved it. It was a tad quirky, though. At times it acted as though something was mechanically wrong with it, other times it ran perfectly. The speedometer on it didn't work though, so she really had to watch that. Sometimes it seemed to be protecting her as well. She had almost been in an accident about week ago when some idiot wasn't watching where he was going and came into her lane. The bike had swerved to the side and hung back, letting the other car go on ahead. Mikaela hadn't done that. She remembered the dealer said that the bike was an older model, but that it hadn't seemed to want anyone else to buy it. Mikaela had laughed at that, until the dealer had told her it refused to crank for anyone. They had been planning on taking it to the junkyard that day until Mikaela had managed to start it. She was starting to have sneaking suspicions about that bike…

Lost in all of her thoughts, she didn't notice Sam until Bumblebee beeped at her.

Twenty minutes later she was in the backseat on her way to the 'clearing' which was in reality the same place Bee had 'broken down' when she had first met Sam. There was a tense silence hovering between the three. Bee's radio was silent, and Sam was staring straight ahead, tight-lipped and pale. She didn't know what to do or say, when she first saw him and went to give him a friendly hug; but he had pushed her away, acting as though he didn't know her. This terrified her. He had simply told her to get in the car. She thought back to their first encounter with Bumblebee and Barricade, how Sam had told her to trust him. So, again on blind faith, she got in the car and trusted him again. She gripped her bag in white knuckled silence as Bee drove recklessly through traffic, running red lights and flying through stop signs.

"Bee, driving like this isn't going to help. You are only going to get me a ticket." Sam said quietly from the drivers seat. To anyone else it would have looked as though he was talking to himself, but Mikaela knew he was speaking to Bumblebee. The car dropped in speed but the urgency was still hanging in the air.

Upon arriving at the clearing, Optimus, Ratchet an Ironhide were already there, waiting. Mikaela and Sam climbed out of the car and seated themselves under the tree while Bumblebee situated himself.

"So…what's going on?" Mikaela asked impassively, directing her question at Optimus. No sense in ignoring him, he usually had all the important information.

"We have received a signal from another autobots." Optimus replied, staring at her, then swiveling his gaze to the others. Mikaela raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, really? That's good news though, right?" This didn't surprise her, however. She was having more than a sneaking suspicion about her bike. But why the hell had it picked her?

"Indeed."

She felt shunned at his one worded answer.

"Well, then can someone tell me why you all look so pissed off?" She demanded, tired of this charade. She jumped as Ratchet stepped forward.

"Yes, Mikaela it is good news. However, we cannot find him. All autobots have a homing device in which they can send a distress signal. We've received a signal, but the autobot's actual homing device is damaged. We cannot locate him."

"Also, we have picked up other signals." Ironhide stepped in. Mikaela shrunk back. Ironhide was the only one who she was still slightly afraid of. He was just so intimidating.

"Other…signals?" Mikaela asked, trembling. She wasn't sure she wanted to hear this answer.

"In particular, Starscream." Optimus said quietly. "But there are others as well. We cannot be sure where they are, but their signal is strong enough for us to be fairly certain that they are here on earth." Mikaela paled.

"Why? I thought all the Decepticons were killed in the battle…" Her voice trailed off as she remembered. She had personally never seen the bodies. No one had. No one had verified which were dead, which were not. The military had come quickly, taking what was left of the dead robots and disposing of them. None of the Autobots had had time to actually recount who had died and who had not.

"Obviously, not all were." Sam stated quietly. She glanced at Sam.

"You already knew all this, right?" She asked. He nodded. She tried not to feel insanely jealous. She never felt welcome among them, and she supposed she had just been exceeds baggage anyway. She had involved herself, when she left her friends that day and followed self. It was Sam they had wanted, needed, she had just happened to be there. Excess baggage. She was starting to get angry, and she struggled to suppress it. She caught snippets of conversation among the other autobots as she battled herself, and cut in when she heard Optimus speaking.

"We need to figure out which Decepticons are here, and WHY they are here-"

"I think you also need to figure out why the hell I am involved again. Right? Because before, I involved myself. I was of no use to anyone. I was simply a liability. Why am I here now? How does this involve me? Huh?" She snapped, angry with herself for it but still feeling justified in her questions. The autobots looked at her in surprise, and Sam's mouth was hanging open.

"Mikaela, you weren't a liability…" Optimus said, looking pained.

"Oh, yes I was and don't try to sugar coat things. I'm more grown up than you seem to think, Optimus. And I'm not stupid, either." Optimus had the nerve to look pained.

"Figure this out yourselves. I don't want to be involved anymore." Mikaela said, grabbing up her things and stalking off. It was a ten mile hike, but she didn't care. She just wanted to get away from the others and their pitying looks. To hell with them.

"Mikaela, wait!" Sam was calling after her, but she didn't turn around. She kept walking, and quickened her pace.

Optimus watched her walk away, feeling as though he was being ripped into pieces. He fought down every urge inside of him to go after her, bring her back, tell her she wasn't useless. But to his immense surprise, Bumblebee beat him to it. Bumblebee had stalked right after her and after a few moments, picked up the protesting Mikaela and held her directly in front of his face.

"When my legs were destroyed by Starscream's missiles, it was you who saved me. You who pulled me from the danger zone. You who had the idea to use the tow truck. It was you who drove while I was shooting; you helped me to destroy Devastator. Do not tell me you were useless, little Mikaela." Bee was yelling at her, Mikaela staring in awe at the mild mannered, friendly Bumblebee shouting in her face. Bumblebee plopped her onto his shoulder, and, holding her there, walked back to the group. Everyone stared at Bee in shocked silence. Sam was staring at him with a mix of awe, and of something else. Optimus could feel his insides twisting in pleasure that Bumblebee brought her back, but with anger and jealousy that he had not been the one to do it.

"Now, where were we?" Bumblebee asked, back to his normal, friendly, happy self. Mikaela stayed put on his shoulder, looking a bit scared. Optimus looked at her on Bee's shoulder, jealousy engulfing his entire body.

"Er, discussing our next move." Ratchet said, staring with his metallic brow raised.

"Right." Optimus said, fighting down the urge to pluck Mikaela from Bumblebee's shoulder. "We have to figure out where they are, and how they are hiding their signal. And why they have come back. The Allspark is gone, this war should be finished."

"The war will never be over, Optimus." Ironhide said, his gravelly voice echoing through the canyon below them. "We all know this. As long as there are Depcepticons and Autobots, the war will never be finished."

"But why come back here?" Mikaela interjected. "Can't this be taken to another planet?"

"I'm sure that it could. However, Megatron crash landed here. All of your technology has been reverse engineered from him. They will want to use the technology to rebuild Megatron." Ratchet said.

"How do you know you are the only planet that had…robotic organisms?" Sam asked suddenly. Everyone looked at him in surprise. "I mean, really. Have you actually explored all reaches of the universe? Every single planet? Every single star? Could there be another Allspark? Or something similar?"

"Sam, there is not another Allspark." Ratchet said. "We have explored as far as we are able, and have yielded not one single planet that has had life forms such as us."

"But that doesn't mean it doesn't exist." Sam countered. "Maybe you just haven't found it yet."

"Sam, I do not think you realize the vastness of space. What areas we have covered will take your kind many, many thousands of years to even dream of doing. It would be impossible to search through the entire universe." Ironhide said.

"What about Earth? Scientists here have tinkered with things. We have created robots that can think." Sam insisted.

"Yes Sam, but what they are lacking is sentience. Only the Allspark can give them that." Ratchet interjected.

"What was the Allspark made of?" Mikaela asked from Bumblebee shoulder. The Autobots looked a little stumped. "Because our planets core is full of motel rock and lava. And radiation from nuclear plants has been known to do some seriously strange things. Like the monster worms at Chernobyl." She said.

"Nuclear radiation…scientists…high heat…they may be on to something, Optimus." Ratchet said. "Perhaps that is why the Decepticons have come back."

Optimus slowly nodded his head, his eyes always wandering over to Mikaela, who did not miss the connection. She stared back at him defiantly, daring him to speak openly to her. He looked away from her, and glanced at the other waiting autobots.

"Our first operative is to find this missing Autobot that seems to be somewhere on the planet." He said. "We'll need all the help we can get."

"Oh, that shouldn't be a problem." Mikaela said cheerfully. "I'm pretty sure I know where _she_ is."

Human and robot head alike turned sharply to look at Mikaela.

"She?" Optimus asked, raising a brow. Mikaela nodded.

"Well, I assume it's a she. It's my motorcycle. She's pink."

"Pink." Ratchet said dryly. Mikaela glared at him.

"Yes, pink." She snapped.

"Mikaela, how do you the bike is an autobot?" Sam asked slowly.

"Well, I'm not really a hundred percent certain, it's never actually transformed, but she-"

"Then for now we must assume she is not. Until your bike can show she can change, then we must assume that our lost autobot is precisely that, still lost." Optimus said, not looking at her. He wanted to believe her, he really did, but seeing as she had not brought the bike with her, and she had not seen the bike transform…then…well it must be assumed Mikaela was wrong.

"Whatever." Mikaela said. She was really pissed now. She stayed seated on Bumblebee's shoulder, leaning back and refusing to say another word until the meeting was over. She had no urge to participate. She was totally silent when the meeting broke apart. Bee set her gently down, transforming back into the yellow Camaro that was so familiar. Sam opened the passenger side door, but she refused to get in.

"No thanks, I'd rather walk." She said coldly. She was so angry that they didn't even want to look at her bike, that they were so ready to write her off and discard her idea.

"Come on, Mikaela. Don't be ridiculous." Sam said impatiently. "Just get in the car."

"No." She gathered her belongings and walked off. "Thank you, though." She walked slowly, and as she went she heard Sam give a heavy sigh and slam the door. Bee protested the slam with a mechanical whine, but drove off obediently with Sam in the drivers seat. She ignored Ratchet and Ironhide half-hearted attempts to give her a ride, and continued on her way as they drove off. Optimus was the only one that remained behind her. She stopped, and turned around, watching him. He was standing there, alone, staring at her with the saddest expression she had ever seen upon his face. It was then that she realized that her words that night had wounded him deeply. He was hurting too, and she knew it. She was only bitter because of his refusal. She contemplated with herself, wondering if she should go back to him and say something…anything. She gave a small sigh, and walked back towards him.

Optimus watched Mikaela's inner battle with herself. Half of him hoped she would speak to him; the other half didn't want her to. He couldn't bear being around her, not with what he had done to her. He watched her turn around and stare at him. The complexity of emotions that he had going on inside him was driving him mad. He had never felt so conflicted in his entire life. He knelt down as she walked back, bending to where they were face to face.

"I just…wanted to apologize. You know, for what I said." Mikaela said, staring up at him.

"Do not apologize. It is I who should be doing that." He said, his eyes blinking slowly, staring at her face. She shook her head, not wanting to argue.

"I just wanted you to know that." She said softly, reaching a hand up to his face, lightly touching his cheek before dropping it. She turned and began to walk away.

Optimus fought with himself. He couldn't let her walk away. Not again. But he couldn't hurt her. If only there was some way…some way they could…no. There wasn't. Optimus growled at himself angrily, causing Mikaela to turn around and stare in apprehension. He shook his head at her.

"Let me take you home." It was a statement, not a question. He wouldn't give her the option of saying no, not this time.

"Are you sure…not about taking me home, but about…us?" She asked hopefully. Optimus stared at her, ripping himself apart for what he knew his answer must be.

"I am sure." He said. As she watched him transform, gears shifting and grinding, wheels turning and joints creaking, she felt heaviness on her heart she had never felt before. His driver's door swung open for her, and she climbed in. The radio was silent, and she placed her hands on the wheel for the benefit of anyone that may happen to see them.

"Thanks…for the ride home." Mikaela said aloud. She knew he could hear her. He didn't have to respond. The radio clicked on softly, as though he were hesitating to turn it on because of last time.

"It's ok. Let me pick the music though?" The radio clicked off, and the compartment above the radio popped open, revealing a rather complex looking music collection. She gaped at it a moment, taking time to figure it out. She was confused, then jumped as the song she had been thinking about began to play. She stared suspiciously at the steering wheel, wishing she could see his face.

Good night my angel time to close your eyes  
And save these questions for another day  
I think I know what you've been asking me  
I think you know what I've been trying to say.

She leaned her head back against the seat, enjoying the song. It seemed to say some of the things she had been thinking, and it seemed as though Optimus was playing it just for her. How had he known this was the song she was thinking about? The melody had been playing before she even figured out how to work it.

Optimus himself was surprised. He had waited for her to pick a song, but strains of a song had drifted through his memory bank, and that was what had started to play. He had never heard it, and had no idea how it came into his mind. It seemed right, though.

I promised I would never leave you  
And you should always know  
Where ever you may go  
No matter where you are  
I never will be far away…

The drive home seemed strangely quick, the song was still drifting through the air as he pulled up in front of her home. She jumped out of the semi, walking around the front of it, keeping a hand on the warm metal as she moved. Letting her fingers drift across, she felt him shudder beneath her touch. She smiled to herself.

"Thanks, Optimus. Next week?" She asked, wanting to throw herself at him again, but refraining. She couldn't bear the rejection again.

"Until then, Mikaela Banes." She could hear his voice, but could not see his face hidden within the truck. She watched him drive off and drive away.

"Until then, Optimus Prime."


	4. Chapter 4

As Optimus drove away, she stomped her foot. Damn! She should have had him look at her bike. Well, she would investigate it herself. Then maybe next time she brought it up she wouldn't look like an ass. She looked around, making sure no neighbors were awake or out. It was late, so she doubted any of them were awake. She walked to her bike, hopping onto it and started it up. She stared at it, searching for any clues but finding none. 

"Ok, missy. Let's see what you've got." She had yet to take the bike on a joyride, and this seemed like a great night to do it. The engine roared to life appreciatively, as though it were ready to go for a spin. She grinned, donned her helmet, and sped off.

She took mostly back roads, enjoying the cold air on her face and the speed of her bike.

"Alright, princess, lets speed it up a notch." Mikaela was soon flying down the old forgotten country road, clueless as to how fast she was going, as the speedometer wasn't working. She didn't really care; the fierce wind on her face stung her cheeks painfully. She relished in it. It made her feel...alive. Forgetting her cares, she simply enjoyed being free. Free from everything. Except the bike seemed to be giving littler jerks. Almost as if the bike was tired. She eased up a bit, and started to slow down. She needed to pull over anyway and stretch. She had been riding for hours and hours...she was surprised to look at the gas gauge and see that it had not moved. Just more evidence for her argument. She pulled over and got off her bike, yawning. It was really late. But she felt as thoug she had to know.

Poking the pink bike and trying not to feel stupid, she started speaking to it.

"Ok, come on. I know what you are. I know you can change out of this shape." She said, feeling ridiculously dumb. The bike didn't budge.

"Come on. I know you can do it." Again the bike didn't respond. "All right, fine. Stay that way then." Nothing. Mikaela rolled her eyes.

"I guess I was crazy after all." Mikaela said, sniffing in annoyance. She had felt so sure. Maybe she was just imagining things. Sam had an autobot car. She was probably making things up so she could pretend she had one as well. Oh well. She yawned, and turned towards the bike.

"Oh, _shit_!" Mikaela yelped as she stumbled back. The bike had begun to shake. It whirred and clicked, and she could hear gears shifting, but no transformation ever took place. It looked as though it was an autobot...but it couldn't transform. The pink bike tried several times, and then shuddered to a stop. Mikaela stared at it wide eyed, pleased beyond all measure that she had been correct, but yet at the same time confused. Why couldn't it transform?

"Can you speak?" Mikaela asked hesitantly. The bike..._sniffed_.

"Of course I can speak. I've just been damaged. I can't transform."

"Holy _God_." Mikaela said aloud, staring at the talking bike. "I'm going insane."

"Not insane. Maybe a tad love stuck for dear Optimus, but not insane." The bike snickered at her. Mikaela felt her cheeks color.

"How do you even know that?" Mikaela asked. angry. "That's...personal!"

"Ah, yes, maybe from others, but not from me. I am your guardian, Mikaela Banes. Although I admit in this shape I'm not much of a guardian." The bike said, sounded rather annoyed.

"What happened to you? Why can't you transform?" Mikaela asked.

"When I landed here, I was still in my proto form. I didn't land well, as opposed to the other autobots, obviously. I crashed, basically. The gravitational field your planet has screwed up my navigation system. Rather irritating, actually." The bike stated matter-of-factly. "Anymore questions?"

"A few. What is your name? Why are you my guardian? Why haven't you revealed yourself to the others?" Mikaela fired off.

"Aaah, well the first one is easy. My name is Arcee. And I'm not usually a Guardian. I'm a medical officer. And I haven't revealed myself to the others because frankly, it's rather embarrassing being stuck like this."

"Well, you are going to stay stuck like that if you don't back me up. I told them I thought you were an autobot and I got laughed at." Mikaela said, smiling.

"I realize that. Who are the others, anyway? I received the message from Optimus, and after verifying that it was authentic, I left right away. He is the only signal I received." Arcee said thoughtfully.

"Well, Bumblebee is here. Ratchet, Ironhide, and Optimus is it." Mikaela said.

"Where is Jazz?" Arcee asked, sounding hopeful and excited. Mikaela stared at her hands, not saying anything.

"I see." Arcee said, sounding sad. "How?"

"Megatron." Mikaela said.

"Megatron... you _bastard_!" Arcee shrieked, causing Mikaela to jump back. Obviously, something had been going on between the two.

"It's ok, it's ok, Megatron is dead now." Mikaela said, hoping to calm Arcee, but the comment only seemed to piss Arcee off more.

"Megatron is never _dead_, the fucking bastard. Oh, he kills and kills and kills but the son of a bitch always comes back. Always, and every time as something more and more horrible. Mark my words, Mikaela, he'll be back. He always is." Mikaela suddenly found it hard to swallow. Megatron, coming back?

"They dumped him and the other Decepticons into the ocean. The temperatures there are subfreezing, and the pressure will crush them." Mikaela said, attempting to make herself feel better.

"Hah! You think that some cold water will finish Megatron off? Oh, he may be offline, but he will be back."

"Sam shoved the Allspark into his chest." Mikaela offered.

"WHAT?" Arcee shouted. Mikaela stepped back.

"Look, maybe you should let Optimus or Ratchet explain this to you. I wasn't there for that part, okay?" Mikaela said, getting defensive. She hadn't done it, after all.

"Fine. Tomorrow then. But for now, lets get you home. I know you humans crave sleep. You can relax and let me drive. I'll get you home safely." Mikaela was almost reluctant to get on Arcee. The damaged autobot was still cursing under her breath at Megatron, and Mikaela wasn't sure she wanted a pissed off autobot driving her home. She reluctantly climbed onto Arcee, after double and triple checking her helmet.

"You act like I can't see that. You'll be fine." Arcee said shortly. Mikaela looked up into the night sky, flushing. Arcee fired up her engine, and they were off like a shot.

It was as they were driving home that Mikaela realized that Arcee hadn't explained why she was Mikaela's guardian.


	5. Chapter 5

Ok guys, I tried really hard to give Arcee a unique personality. Forgive me if she isn't totally in character. This chapter is dialogue heavy. God, I love angst. Thanks again, Billy Joel :D

* * *

The next day, Mikaela awoke feeling refreshed. After last night, she had been exhausted when she got home, ready to fall into her bed and sleep until the next evening. She didn't though; her body naturally woke her up around nine in the morning. The previous days events kept her mind busy as she showered and got dressed. Grabbing a backpack and keys, she walked out side to where Arcee sat. Mikaela leaned against the house, watching the pink bike thoughtfully. 

"Well? Are you gonna stare at me all day?" Arcee asked snippily. Mikaela only laughed at her. She could almost feel Arcee glaring at her, although she couldn't see Arcee's face.

"Ready to find everyone?" Mikaela asked cheerfully, pleased that she would soon be rubbing everyone's nose in the fact that she had been correct. Arcee gave a grumble, which Mikaela took as a yes. "Except you need to let me drive. You freak me out when you take control."

"Well I AM supposed to be protecting you." Arcee stated haughtily. That reminded Mikaela of something.

"Why?" Mikaela asked, raising a brow. Arcee growled.

"No time for that. Right now, I'm useless because I can't transform. After what you told me last night, the sooner I'm fixed and able to protect you, the better."

"All right, fair enough. But once we get you fixed, you tell me, ok?" Mikaela asked.

"Fine." The bike said as it fired itself up. _So weird_...Mikaela thought to herself. _Don't even need the_ _keys..._ Mikaela opened her phone and called Sam.

"Hello...?" Sam answered on the first ring, as usual.

"Can we get everyone together? It's an emergency." Mikaela asked.

"Emergency, what kind of emergency?" Sam asked suspiciously. "You aren't gonna try to pull that 'my bike is an autobot' crap on us again are you?" Mikaela held in an angry retort. You bet your ass I am, she thought heatedly. She would be especially pleased to rub it in Sam's face now.

"No, Sam. Please, just have Bee contact everyone. Meet me at the Clearing." Mikaela said urgently, although she was seething on the inside.

"Okay..." Sam said reluctantly. "But they are gonna be mad if you waste their time..."

"Hah. Optimus wont." Arcee said under her breath. Mikaela turned to glare at her as she said goodbye to Sam.

"Okay, Arcee. How do you know how I feel about Optimus?" Mikaela asked. "And you are telling me before we go anywhere." Mikaela thought that if she was able, Arcee would have rolled her eyes.

"It's not like I couldn't hear you talking about it to yourself, especially when you were riding me. And I have exceptionally good hearing. It's part of what made me a good scout in battle." Well that made sense. She did talk to herself sometimes.

"I thought you said you were a medic. Then you said you were a guardian. What the hell _are_ you, Arcee?" Mikaela asked, sounding exasperated.

"Well, I was. I am. I'm all of the above, actually. I'm a rather skilled medic, but I can't fix myself in this state. And as for being a guardian, I told you that's not normally my position. And as for being a scout...for an Autobot, I'm actually rather small. I could hide easily and hear everything." Mikaela nodded.

"Okay. I'll take that. Ready to go?" She asked Arcee.

"Yeah. But I'm driving." Arcee said happily.

* * *

About 20 minutes later, Mikaela pulled up on her bike, watching in satisfaction as everyone arrived. 

"Okay Arcee...please don't make me look stupid again." Mikaela murmured, smiling uneasily at the other frowning Autobots, and Sam. The bike grunted.

"I won't."

Mikaela stepped forward and placed a hand on her bike. Ratchet, Ironhide, Optimus and Bee formed a small circle around her. Sam stood quietly by Bumblebee's feet.

"Ok, guys...I need to introduce you to someone, although you are probably all already familiar with her." Mikaela said, eyeing all the autobots. Ironhide gave an irritated sigh, watching her as she wheeled her bike forward.

"Mikaela you said you weren't going to start with the bike crap again." Sam said, sounding extremely pissed. Mikaela whirled on him, an angry retort on her lips.

"Funny, coming from a boy who rides around in something similar." Mikaela's bike stated cheerfully. She heard gears whining in protest as the Autobots whirled their heads, staring at the bike.

"Arcee?" Optimus ventured, taking a step forward.

"The one and only. You know, you all didn't have to treat Mikaela like she was an idiot. She knew what I was almost the moment she bought me." Arcee said sharply. Optimus looked ashamed of himself. The other Autobots looked away, not wanting to see Mikaela's satisfied stare.

"She needs help." Mikaela said. "She can't transform. Ratchet, can you help her?" The large yellow Autobot nodded, stepping closer and kneeling down to take a closer look at Arcee. Mikaela moved away from the two, not really listening as Arcee explained in technical terms what exactly had happened to her and why she can't transform. Sam walked over to her, scratching his head.

"I'm sorry, Mikaela." Sam said sheepishly. Mikaela waved her hand.

"A few months ago you told me you had a monster chasing you. I thought you were nuts until I was proved wrong seconds later. It takes a moment for a person to believe a motorcycle can transform into a war machine." Mikaela said, laying a hand on Sam's arm. Sam smiled at her, and reached out and gave her a hug.

Mikaela hugged him back, not missing the flash of red in Optimus' blue eyes.

"I can fix her." Ratchet announced, standing up. "But it's going to take time. She is very badly damaged. I don't even know how she managed to scan anything to transform into."

"Time isn't something we have, Ratchet." Arcee said, her motorcycle form shaking in annoyance. "You've got to fix me now, and fast!" Ratchet stared at her, a little surprised at her outburst.

"Arcee, if I rush through it I may not be able to catch everything that was wrong. As glad as we are to see you, we can't rush this. If I don't fix you properly this time, if something happens to you, anything really, it could be life threatening." Ratchet folded his large metal arms and stared sternly at the enraged pink motorcycle.

"Then fix her correctly this time, and don't listen to her." Mikaela said sweetly as Arcee gave an outraged shout. "Sorry Arcee, but what good are you as a guardian who isn't functioning properly?" Mikaela hated to be like that, and Arcee quieted as though she was hurt. Mikaela sighed, she didn't want to hurt Arcee's feelings. Arcee had already had quite a shock last night from the news of Jazz and for some reason, Megatron's death. But Mikaela didn't want Arcee to get hurt. If she was right, and Megatron could be brought back, then Arcee needed everything functioning properly in order to survive. Ratchet nodded at Mikaela, understanding her harshness with Arcee.

"This will take quite a while. If you'd like, we can meet back here tomorrow. By then, I should be done. I will work on her all night if I need to." He said to Mikaela, who shook her head.

"I want to be here when you are done. I want to make sure she is ok." Mikaela said anxiously. She liked Arcee. She liked her spunkiness and honesty, and her desire to protect Mikaela, whatever the reason may be. Ratchet nodded.

"I understand. Just make sure you keep back, some sparks may fly and we don't want you catching on fire." Ratchet said to her. Mikaela stared at him, unsure if he had actually made a joke or not. Ratchet turned back to Arcee and picked up the pink bike, which didn't protest Ratchet took her off to the side away from everyone. Shit. Arcee was pissed at her. Mikaela groaned inwardly, then ruefully made her way over to sit against the tree. It was for Arcee's own good. Mikaela closed her eyes, the jumped as she felt someone sit next to her. She cracked her eyes and peered out of the corner of her eye. It was Sam.

"I just wanted to apologize again. I didn't mean to call you stupid or crazy." Sam said, staring at his hands. Mikaela stared at her ex-boyfriend thoughtfully.

"It's ok. Really. Don't worry about it." Mikaela said, picking at an invisible fuzz ball on her shirt.

"Have you thought about...us? Since, you know...we broke up?" Sam asked haltingly, trying to read her facial expressions. Mikaela tried to keep her face carefully blank.

"Yeah, a little bit..." She said, watching his face contort in an array of emotions. She turned to look at the other Autobots. Ironhide was showing a very bored Bumblebee a new weapon addition he had put together out of human technology coupled with a bit of his own. She could barely see Ratchet, and the sparks she saw flying scared her. She looked away from the scene and found her eyes meeting with Optimus. She was still smarting from being rejected, and even though she had apologized, she was still angry and bitter, and she knew that he knew it. She ached to get up, to go to him...Sam was interrupting her thoughts again.

"Only a little bit?" Sam asked, sounding disappointed. Mikaela stared at him.

"Are you ok, Sam?" She asked, wondering what was up with him.

"Yeah, I guess...I was just sort of hoping..." He was stuttering, and Mikaela frowned at him, unsure of what he was saying.

"Yeah?" She asked, waiting for an answer.

"Iwasjustsortofhopingwecouldmaybetryagain?" Sam blurted out, his face red. Mikaela's jaw dropped.

"Are you _serious_?" She asked, stunned. She didn't get to finish her thoughts, however, because Sam had grabbed her and was kissing her. It was the fiercest, neediest, and most passionate kiss she had ever been given. She had never been kissed with such...feeling. With such ferocity and passion. She could feel herself slowing giving into it, her hand rising up to rest lightly on his hand. She jumped back, as did Sam, at the sound of a loud explosion, and debris crumbling into their hair from the decimated top half of the tree they were sitting under. Mikaela's eyes wandered towards Optimus, who's gun was smoking, and whom she had never, ever seen angrier. Oh, _Christ_. What had she done? She jumped up, and started running towards him, to explain. To say no, no she hadn't wanted it, she hadn't asked for it, but he had already transformed and was driving off into the distance. _SHIT_. With Optimus one direction and Arcee still being worked on, she was torn in half. _Shit shit shit_. Sam was apologizing profusely in her ear but she didn't hear him. All she could do was watch Optimus drive away. _Stop. Come back, please_, She mentally begged. She knew he couldn't hear her, but she couldn't help it. She started to feel nauseated, like she was going to vomit. _God, I've lost him, but then again, I never had him in the first place_. That's all she could think, feel, see and hear. Mikaela sank to her knees, halfway supporting herself on the tree. She could hear herself singing out loud, a lilting, heartbroken song. Her song. Their song.

_I promised I would never leave you _

_And you should always know _

_Where ever you may go _

_No matter where you are I never will be far away._

Another explosion rocked the area but this time it wasn't from Optimus. She fell forward, her hands hitting the ground hard. She heard Sam screaming. There were more explosions. Bumblebee was shouting and firing trying to protect them, but her eyes were blurry with something wet. Reaching a shaky hand up to touch her head, she saw in horror that it was covered in blood. _My own_, she thought shakily. Arcee was shrieking as Ratchet was shouting instructions. She heard broken pieces of words, snippets of screams. "Attacked...Starscream...Barricade..." Other names weren't familiar. She wasn't coherent. Something felt horribly, horribly wrong within her body. All she saw was blurry figures moving and screaming. The ground was exploding around her, debris flying through the air all around her, nothing made sense and everything hurt. There was one last explosion, then everything went black.


	6. Chapter 6

This chapter was slow going. I've been popping them out pretty fast but this one took me a while to do. Eek! Thanks go to Incubus for the song in this chapter :)

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"Will she be ok?" Mikaela heard the voices before she saw them. What had happened? 

"I don't know, she took a couple of pretty bad hits."

"How long until she's coherent?" The voices sounded worried. Why would they be worried? She was fine. She tried to move a finger. Oh _shit_, not fine.

"She's moving!" The voices were excited. "She tried to move her finger! Did you see it?"

"Where's Arcee?" another disembodied voice asked urgently. Mikaela twitched. Arcee...where was Arcee...? That was one voice she didn't hear. She couldn't distinguish between the male voices, but she definitely didn't hear Arcee.

"Offline."

"God_damn_..." another voice hissed. Mikaela was panicking. Where was Arcee? She let out a low, pathetic whine. Offline?

"She made a noise!"

"MOVE." She heard a deep voice growl from her left, and she heard metal grinding and gears shifting.

"Hey, watch out!" Voices were indignant as she heard some shuffling around.

"Get out of the way. NOW." More shuffling, and then she could feel a comforting presence presiding over her.

"Optimus." She said, her voice a harsh whisper. She felt a warm touch on her hand. She grasped at his finger, holding it as tight as she could. Optimus was alarmed at how weak her grip was.

"Don't talk." She heard Optimus speaking, but she was fading in and out of consciousness anyway.

"Sorry...so sorry..." She managed to croak, her fingers slipping from the warm metallic hand. She still couldn't open her eyes. She could feel prickling sensations on her back, legs, and neck. She must be on the grass somewhere. It was poking her through her clothes.

"Please, don't waste your energy." His voice sounded strangled. "God, if anyone is to be sorry, it is me."

"No..." She coughed, then gasped as pain exploded through her skull. "Arcee..." She mumbled softly.

"Will she be all right?" She heard someone ask.

"Hard to say, like I said before, she took a lot of damage. Both of them did, but especially Arcee." It sounded sort of like Ratchet speaking now, although the voice was garbled.

"Can you get her back online?"

"Maybe. In time. Her spark took a lot of damage. I had only just finished repairing her to where she could transform when we were attacked. I wasn't finished with the rest of the problems. Her weapons weren't functioning when the attack hit. She was defenseless. Yet she still..." The voices trailed off as Mikaela drifted in and out of consciousness for several hours. She was desperate for news, so she strained to stay awake long enough to hear anything about Arcee, but she just couldn't. Her body had taken such a beating that she finally gave in to a dreamless sleep. All through the night, she never felt the warm touch leave her.

She woke hours later, her head pounding, this time able to open her eyes. She glanced blearily around, her vision sliding in and out of focus.

"What the hell happened...?" She mumbled, closing her eyes again as a stab of pain ricocheted through her head. "It feels like I got hit by a truck..." she moaned, weakly lifting a hand to touch her face.

"You did." A deep voice penetrated her thoughts, causing her to painfully open her ees to stare up at the speaker. Optimus' face was directly over her own, large blue optic eyes staring into her own. She stared at him in confusion. She sensed the others backing away, giving the two a moment alone.

"When I was...driving away I heard you calling for me, then I heard the explosions. When I came back, I saw Starscream standing directly in front of you with his gun on you. My only choice was to knock you out of his way. I didn't have a chance to change first. I'm so Sorry, Mikaela..." He said, looking down at her with such remorse she couldn't help but chuckle, although it turned into a cry of pain. Optimus instantly looked concerned.

"Don't worry, Optimus. Now I can honestly say I feel like I've been hit by a semi, and mean it." Optimus looked strained, and Mikaela tried not to laugh, especially since the pain was coming in nauseating waves. "I think...I think I'm going to puke..." She said, trying desperately to sit up. "God, please look away." Optimus didn't say anything, but instead helped a struggling Mikaela to sit up and turn sideways. Only then did he look away as she had asked, waiting until she was finished to turn his face towards her again. Mikaela's face was white, and she looked weaker than ever. Her whole body was a mess of torn clothing and . Her face stared up at him with frightened eyes behind a mask of blood. Optimus insides were twisting as he stared down at her. If only had hadn't lost his temper. That was so unlike him, something he tried to keep in check. If he hadn't driven off, she wouldn't be hurt right now...He was so lost in his own misery that he almost didn't hear her talking to him.

"Where is Arcee?" Mikaela's voice was urgent, the concern overtaking her pain. Optimus' face took a very carefully masked expression. Mikaela didn't like that.

"She'll be fine." Optimus said unsteadily. He didn't seem good at hiding his emotions. He had shot at a tree in jealousy, after all.

"Just tell me. I can handle it." Mikaela said impatiently.

"After I knocked you out of the way, Arcee ran over to protect you. She took a lot of damage from Barricade. Unfortunately, most of it was to her chest."

"Barricade...the cop car?" Mikaela asked in disbelief. "I thought he was dead!" Optimus shook his head, optics flickering to his left. Mikaela followed his gaze and almost screamed. She saw Arcee, transformed from the bike into her robotic state, splayed out on the ground. Ratchet was bent over her, meticulously repairing the teeny wires that composed of Arcee's spark casing. His eyes glanced up to Mikaela, who was watching in horrified disbelief.

"It is similar to a human heart. That is the easiest way to explain it. And this," Ratchet lifted Arcee's prone body and pointed to the bare wires in her abdomen, "is like a human's central nervous system. The was extensive damage here, even if I repair her it may not be-" Mikaela didn't hear the rest of his words. She had burst into tears after Ratchet had lifted Arcee. Optimus glared at Ratchet.

"She isn't a medical experiment, Ratchet. And this isn't a medical lesson!" Optimus snarled at Ratchet, who glared at Optimus and returned to his work. Optimus turned his attention to the sobbing Mikaela.

"Calm down, Mikaela. He can repair her." Optimus said, trying to console her. It really didn't seem to be working, Mikaela only cried harder. Sam and Bumblebee were several yards away, Bumblebee was staring very hard at Mikaela and Sam was watching Optimus with a thoughtful expression. Neither seemed to want to get near the hysterical girl. Ironhide had steered clear of the entire situation, and instead was inspecting some debris by the tree where Mikaela had been attacked.

"Optimus." Ironhide's low voice cut through Mikaela's quiet sobs. Optimus stood, hating to leave her, and reluctantly made his way to Ironhide.

"Look." Ironhide pointed to the scorch marks on the ground. "These aren't Starscream's normal weaponry. These are something else. And look." Ironhide knelt down beside a hole in the ground where one of Starscream's rounds had hit. There was an ethereal glow around the ridge of the hole. Optimus ran a scan of the material, dreading what the results would be.

"Radiation." Optimus said quietly. "We have to get these humans out of here now. This affects them negatively, and can kill them." Optimus gave a glance at Ironhide who was shaking his head.

"This isn't Cybertronian technology, Optimus. This is human technology." Ironhide said gravely. Optimus dreaded what that meant. Either the Decepticons had found an ally among the humans, or they had stolen the technology for themselves. Either was possible. "We must meet tomorrow Optimus. We must know how they found us." Optimus gave a nod, then looked at Mikaela, then to Sam.

"We must get them out of here." Optimus said as he walked over to Mikaela, giving a nod to Bumblebee on his way. Bumblebee met Optimus' blue optics, and there was something in them Optimus couldn't quite read. Anger? Jealousy? He couldn't tell, and didn't know what to make of it.

"Time to go, Mikaela." Optimus said as his body began shifting in shape and size. Mikaela shook her head.

"No, I want to wait until Arcee is okay..."

"Now." His voice left no room for negotiation. Bumblebee walked over and gently picked Mikaela up, cradling her gently in his big hands. Placing her inside of Optimus, he strode back to Sam who was watching the scene in silence.

Once inside the truck, Mikaela tried to shift to where she was comfortable. It wasn't an easy task, considering what her body had been through. Mikaela groaned softly as she tried to get comfortable. She hurt so very bad. Everything ached, her head, her entire body. The truck hit a bump in the road, and Mikaela sharply drew in a breath, trying not to cry. The radio was playing softly again, the singers soft tones almost soothing her.

_There's something about the look in your eyes _

_Something I noticed when the light was just right _

_It reminded me twice that I was alive _

_And it reminded me that you're so worth the fight_

She gave a sigh, the pain causing her eyes to water. Looking through the front windshield, she could see the beginnings of a red, rosy dawn. And old proverb ran through her head: _Red at night, sailors delight, red at morning, sailors take warning... _It seemed like a bad omen.

"Optimus...please, it's really not worth it to drive me home. Every little bump, every slight movement is killing me." Mikaela begged, her voice catching mid sentence. The effort it took to speak exhausted her. Optimus obliged, carefully pulling off the road and towards the woods again. He wanted to be able to change without human intervention, the woods usually seemed like a safe place to do that, as they tended to be uninhabited. Once he had found a satisfactory spot, Mikaela very carefully climbed out of the truck, wincing and gasping as she did so. Collapsing under a tree, she watched and waited as Optimus changed, the truck unfolding into the magnificent being that he was. Sitting next to her, he leaned back against a large tree, watching her carefully.

"I would like to give you something, Mikaela." Optimus said slowly. He wasn't sure if he should do this, but he could think of no better place for it. Mikaela looked at him curiously, waiting for him to be ready.

"It's something important, something I would like you to have not only to keep safe, but because I can trust you." He said, reaching within himself. Removing his hand, he held a closed fist out to her. She looked up at him uneasily, then held her hands out. Optimus opened his hand, and something small but heavy fell into her own small hands. She looked at the object in her hands and gasped in shock.

"Optimus, no, I can't take this, I-"

"Take it. Keep it safe." Optimus said, his low voice sounding desolate.

Mikaela swallowed with some difficulty, and nodded. Her small fingers closed gently around the last remaining piece of Optimus' beloved planet. She took a deep breath, and pressed the only remaining Allspark shard to her heart.


	7. Chapter 7

This is a short chapter, but I feel it's one of the more moving chapters. Lyrics taken from the Goo Goo Dolls song in the movie.

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Mikaela woke a few hours later. Her back was sore from sleeping cradled in Optimus' hands. She yawned, wincing, as it was incredibly painful. She felt better, however, although everything still ached. She knew she looked awful too. She could feel the dried blood caked in her hair and on her body. Carefully climbing down from Optimus' hands, she wandered away from Optimus. She thought she could hear a stream flowing, and headed towards the noise. Picking her way through forest debris, she finally found a gently trickling stream. Pleased, she knelt down and began to rinse the blood out of her hair and from her face. Peering into the water, she got a good look at herself. 

"Oh, wow." She said ruefully, attempting to run her fingers through her hair. She decided the best course of action would be to dunk her head into the water. Gasping as the icy water enveloped her head, she scrubbed as best as she could, working her fingers gently through the wound on the back of her head. Her fingers felt the dried blood gradually drifting away, and when she pulled her head out of the water, it was gone. Her head down and hair handing wet around her face, she wrung it out as best she could, then stood and looked up, and stifled a scream.

"You'll never survive this, human." Starscream towered over her, guns out and armed. Mikaela stumbled back, the Allspark shard vibrating with power in her pocket. Starscream knelt down in front of her, until his face was nearly touching her own.

"The days of Optimus Prime are gone. Before this is all over, he will die by MY hand!" Starscream's voice hissed, sending horrible reverberations throughout her body, nothing like what Optimus' voice did.

"Oh, like hell he will." An odd sense of bravery and foolishness overcame Mikaela, and she snapped back at him defiantly.

"Fool. We will rule this planet, as we ruled our own!" Starscream laughed, the sound grating on Mikaela's ears. "And this time, it will be I who rules, and not that fool Megatron!" Starscream leapt up into the air, metal on metal grinding and changing in midair, he took off with a bang.

"Optimus! _Optimus_!" Mikaela was screaming now, her hand in her pocket, gripping the shard so hard that the point drew blood. She didn't notice the tingling sensation in her hand, she was too busy running and screaming towards Optimus. Stumbling over a loose shoelace, Mikaela fell, sprawling on the ground. She cowered as she watched in terrified wonder as Starscream flew off. Optimus came crashing through the trees, his face guard in place and guns drawn. He had heard her screams from where he was sitting. He shouldn't have let her wander off alone, not in her current state. He had just wanted her to be able to have some private time to herself. She had been through a lot in the last 24 hours. Mikaela slowly turned her gaze towards Optimus, shaking in terror. Optimus dropped heavily to the ground beside her, reaching a hand out to gently touch her cheek.

"Are you hurt?" He asked urgently, his blue optics flickering over her body.

"I don't...I don't think so." Mikaela stammered, unsure of what had really just happened. "It was...Starscream." She quickly filled Optimus in on what had transpired. Optimus looked confused, as well as concerned. Why hadn't he just killed Mikaela?

"I don't think I'm hurt...at all, actually..." Mikaela said again, her voice trailing off, and Optimus looked at her, puzzled. She was holding her hands up in front of her face, staring at them in utter amazement. She ran her hands through her hair, feeling for the open wound that had been there last the previous night. It was gone. She quickly discarded her clothes, ignoring Optimus' initial gasp. He had turned around so fast that he had ran into a tree, knocking it down. Ignoring the noise, Mikaela closely examined her body. Every cut, scrape, and bruise was gone. Running her hands down her sides and over her legs, she noticed everything was flawless. Grabbing her cloths and throwing them back on, she turned to Optimus, who was very busily inspecting the tree he had destroyed.

"Optimus..." She said quietly. "We have to go back. I've got to talk to Ratchet. Something very strange is going on." She could feel the Allspark shard pulsing in her pocket, as though it were a beating heart. The feeling was strangely comfortable. Climbing into the large red and blue semi, she seated herself comfortably in the passenger seat. There was blood covering Optimus' leather seats, and she felt guilty. She'd clean it later. He didn't deserve to be soiled with blood. She reached over and clicked on the radio, she was beginning to enjoy it, seeing as she had no car, nor bike for that matter. Her heart gave a terrified twinge at the thought of Arcee. She couldn't think about that. Not yet. She fiddled with the dial until she came to a rest.

_And the risk that might break you _

_Is the one that would say: _

_A life you don't live is still lost _

_So stand on the edge with me _

_Hold back your fear and see _

_Nothing is real 'til it's gone._

She lifted a brow at the song, thinking that maybe it was one Optimus should think about. Singing quietly along, she didn't notice that there was someone sitting in the drivers seat until she looked up.

"_Shit_!" She yelped, fingers fumbling for the door lock, but it refused to open. The person in the seat laughed.

"It's just a projection, Mikaela. Since we are driving in broad daylight, it would probably be best if it looked as though someone was driving. I've been working on this image f or some time. Do you like it?" The man looked at her, a bemused expression on his face. Mikaela nodded, her cheeks red. The hologram was very handsome, with piercing blue eyes that seemed to stare deep into her soul. If Optimus could do this, why couldn't they just try? The question was written all over her face, and the holograms blue eyes looked sad.

"I know what you are thinking. I can only hold this projection while I am driving, and roughly ten yards away from myself." The projection looked at her, flicking for a moment, then turning his face to stare at the road in front of them.

_So live like you mean it _

_And love 'til you feel it _

_It's all that we need in our lives _

_So stand on the edge with me _

_Hold back your fear and see _

_Nothing is real 'til it's gone._

The radio played as Mikaela watched the projection drive in silence. Reaching out a hand, she touched his arm. It felt warm, and real.

"Can you feel that?" Mikaela asked softly. The hologram looked at her, a strange expression on his face.

"Normally, no. But when you touched me, it felt like...a shock." The projections head turned to stare at the road in front of him. Mikaela chewed on her lip. If she tried something again, he would only refuse her. But with him sitting in front of her, looking, feeling, and sounding like a human, she couldn't resist.

"Pull over. Keep the projection. I want to see something." Without looking at her, the projection pulled the semi over to the side of the road. Mikaela was scooching closer to the hologram while he did this, hoping he wouldn't notice until it was too late. The holo did notice, but choose to ignore it. When he looked at her again, her face was close to his. He could feel her breath on his lips, see her hair curling around her face. She lifted a hand, tentatively touching his cheek. Optimus felt a shock run through his projections body. While he was the projection, he was still the same Autobot. He felt insanely jealous of his projection at that current moment, but he could _feel_. He could feel everything. Mikaela ran a hesitant tongue over her lips, then leaned closer and gently laid her lips upon the holograms. Optimus shuddered, and Mikaela felt the truck groan and whine around her, underneath her. The projection flickered, and he leaned back, looked alarmed, but then he came back, stronger than before.

The hologram wrapped his arms around Mikaela, and Optimus, while controlling the hologram, felt every touch, every caress. The kiss seemed to only last a few moments, but at the same time, it felt like a lifetime. Mikaela's hands were gripping the holograms jacket, never wanting to let go. Suddenly, the hologram leaned back, pushing her away. Mikaela wanted to go wild, scream at Optimus, tell him he needed to take her, have her in every way possible, right there in the truck bed, but she didn't she stayed silent, only looking at the projection with a desperate question in her eyes. The projection shook his head.

"This...this doesn't change anything Mikaela." Although it did, it changed everything. He couldn't let this happen again. He shouldn't have been able to feel any of that. There was something strange about Mikaela; something was changing deep inside of her. He wasn't sure if it was for good or bad, but he ever since that first night he had felt something different about her. She wasn't saying anything, and Optimus felt horrible. More so than he had ever felt before. She only kept looking at him with those beautiful, questioning eyes.

"I can't hurt you. You have to realize..." His voice trailed off as she nodded, and looked away. There were no tears in her eyes this time, only a hard acceptance. He had made his choice, twice now. She would not try a third time.

"Mikaela...please..." Optimus longed to tell her his thoughts, his feelings; the fact that seeing Sam kiss her had made him want to die. Whenever he had seen them together before, all he had wanted to do was knock Sam out of the way. The hologram reached out to her, pleading, touching her hand gently. Mikaela gripped the hand once, squeezing it hard, then let it go and stared out the window.

The radio played on.

_Hold on before it's too late _

_Until we leave this behind _

_Don't fall, just be who you are _

_It's all that we need in our lives_.

_It's all that we need in our lives.._

_It's all that I need in my life._


	8. Chapter 8

Optimus pulled up to where Ratchet was standing. He was looking particularly smug. Mikaela climbed out of the car in silence, staring at Ratchet as Optimus transformed behind her. 

"Where is Arcee?" Mikaela asked urgently, her eyes wandering around the clearing. Ratchet, looking particularly pleased with himself, pointed. Mikaela's eyes followed the line, and came to rest on a very nice pink motorcycle. Mikaela squealed, and ran over to the bike, her hands running over the bike, making sure everything was ok. Arcee looked brand new. The Autobots formed a circle around her, exchanging looks of amusement at Mikaela's excitement.

"It's nice to see you too," Arcee said, pleased with Mikaela's reaction.

"Oh, Arcee I'm so sorry I made you angry with me!" Mikaela said, tears in her eyes.

"Don't worry, Mikaela. Everything is fine. And," she added, "I can correctly protect you now so I'm glad you did." Mikaela backed away as Arcee began to change. Shifting in shape and size, Arcee now towered over Mikaela, looking down at her with illuminated blue eyes. Arcee was simply stunning as an Autobot, more so than she could ever be as a human motorcycle. Her armor was pink, and Mikaela could see vague sparkles throughout the paint job. Reaching forward, she ran a hand over the metal that comprised of Arcee's left foot. Arcee's foot twitched, and Mikaela heard a deep rumble.

"Tickles." Arcee said, amused, as she glanced around at the other Autobots. "Long time no see, Ironhide. Looking pretty spiffy." Ironhide glared at her, spiffy was not the word he would have chosen for himself. Battle hardened. Tough. But not spiffy. Arcee, highly amused by this, turned to Bumblebee who was waiting patiently and quietly.

"Ah, and Bumblebee. It is a joy to see you again, as always." Arcee said with a smile. She reached out and shook Bumblebee's big metallic hand. Mikaela could have sworn she saw a smile on Bumblebees face. Arcee's eyes flickered to Ratchet.

"And you. While I do appreciate you fixing me, maybe next time you don't show me off like a science experiment?" Arcee said, a metallic eyebrow raising.

"I didn't know you knew that!" Ratchet said defensively. "Besides I was just trying to show Mikaela-" Arcee held up her hands, cutting him off.

"It's ok. Maybe next time, in just a little less traumatic way for the humans, hmm?" Ratchet gave an exasperated sigh, then nodded. Arcee's eyes flickered to a hole in the group, the hole that normally would have been filled by Jazz.

"Ah, Jazz..." Arcee said softly, then falling silent with her head bowed. After a few moments, she looked up, and her gaze fell to Optimus. Again, she lowered her head, but this time, she fell into a full bow.

"My leader." Then she stood up, walked straight over to Optimus, and smacked him.

"Fool!" She shouted, to the utter amazement of everyone standing around. Optimus' mouth was hanging open, speech capacitors soundless. "What is the matter with you? Why do you continually turn down what makes itself readily available to you?" Mikaela's breath caught in her throat, and tears sprung to her eyes. Arcee was just..._awesome_.

"I..." Optimus tried to say something, but he was still in such shock over being smacked he couldn't utter anything.

"You what? You agree that you are a fool?" Arcee demanded. The other Autobots had walked away, Bumblebee even resorting to a low whistle. Optimus shook his head, looking enraged.

"I hardly think this is the appropriate time, Arcee." Optimus said, his voice low. Mikaela stood between them, her eyes wide and staring as the two Autobots argued over her head,

"When is the appropriate time, Optimus? If it is left up to you there will be none! She is special, Optimus, and you know it. You know there's something about her, and you know that it's because of _you_! The bond is trying to work here, and you are _trying_ to destroy it!"

"The appropriate time is never, Arcee. She is _human_. She's not one of us, the bond doesn't work like that with humans!" Optimus argued back. Both robots were totally oblivious of Mikaela standing there, holding her breath lest they remember she was there. She wanted to catch all of what was being said.

"Mikaela." Sam was there, tugging on her arm and trying to pull her away. She shook him off impatiently, trying to listen to the arguing Autobots. Unfortunately, due to Sam's movement the two robots stopped arguing and stared down at the two humans. Optimus glared at Arcee, then stalked off towards Ironhide. Mikaela snarled at Sam, then turned her attention to Arcee.

"After...Optimus hit me, I heard you protected me. It could have killed you." Mikaela said quietly to Arcee. She was vaguely aware of Sam being shooed away by Bumblebee, but her attention was focused on Arcee. "Thank you."

"It was my pleasure, Mikaela." Arcee said cheerfully. "I am your guardian. I am here to protect you."

"Why?" Mikaela questioned.

"You are special Mikaela. You have managed somehow to create a special bond with Optimus, and while he ignores it, you embrace it. While this bond is special and unique, it also marks you. We've never seen this before with humans until you and Sam." She pointed to Sam and Bumblebee, who were happily chatting with each other. Sam was seated on Bumblebee's lap as Bumblebee cheerfully cranked out radio tunes for Sam to name.

"Their bond is unique. Once I received Optimus' message, I could easily decipher it and dissect it. Hidden among the message were traces of you and that bond. The silly old fool has loved you since he laid eyes one you."

"What...how...?" Mikaela stuttered, trying to comprehend it. Arcee looked thoughtful.

"I would think it is similar to what you humans call email? When you send a message, the history of the message is often included, is it not?" Mikaela thought a moment of her own email.

"Yes, it is." Mikaela said slowly. Arcee looked triumphant.

"Optimus' message worked the same way. Unfortunately, I'm not the only one who picked up that message..." Arcee's voice trailed off as Ratchet strode up to them.

"Optimus tells me you are healed, Mikaela. May I see?" Ratchet asked. Mikaela nodded slowly. Ratchet held down a hand, which Mikaela climbed up on.

"I will accompany you." Arcee said, as Ratchet rolled his eyes and strode off to a secluded area. He set Mikaela down as Arcee paced. He waited for Mikaela to discard her clothing before he began his exam. Running scans over her, he could see that there was nothing physically wrong with her.

"I find no error in your system, Mikaela. But I must ask you- what has your contact been with Optimus?" Ratchet asked her, watching her pull her dirty cloths on carefully. She avoided Ratchet's gaze, instead focusing on her buttons and mumbling something incoherent that Arcee obviously heard, and laughed at.

"Mikaela?" Ratchet asked again, waiting for her response. Mikaela looked at him, red faced, and told him of the encounter so many weeks ago, and of what had happened with the projection. Ratchet's eyes grew wider and wider at each word she spoke, until he finally cut her off.

"Wait. You are telling me that you...merged with Optimus?" Ratchet asked, incredulous.

"Well, not completely." Mikaela said defensively. "He stopped me before...you know. Anything further happened."

"As he should!" Ratchet growled, staring at her. "You don't know what that can do to humans! We don't even know. Nothing like that has ever been tested. You risked your life!" Ratchet said, looking down at Mikaela disapprovingly. Mikaela arched a brow.

"It was worth it, at least." She said, suppressing a giggle as Arcee grinned at her.

"Worth it?! You could have been killed!" Ratchet exploded. He began pacing. "You don't understand. Nothing like this has ever been tested. This is unprecedented. You don't know what the consequences will be..." Mikaela stared at him, her features hard.

"I'm perfectly willing to accept whatever consequences may have come from my actions." She said, recalling the first time she had said those words. They pierced her heart like a knife, the anger at the rejection resurfacing again and consuming her. Arcee looked at Mikaela in alarm, the anger and rage was written all over the girl's face.

"You might be willing to accept them, but are you ready to face them?" Ratchet said, stopping his pacing to stare at her. "Do you realize you still may die?" Mikaela narrowed her eyes at him.

"At this point, I don't really care." And she didn't. She had had enough of everything. Ratchet stared at her, searching her face.

"I have a feeling you may, if that time were to come." Ratchet said, folding his yellow metallic arms.

"Well, if that unfortunate event happens to occur, use me." Arcee snapped at him, angry with him for being so harsh on Mikaela. Ratchet raised a brow, but said nothing else. Instead, he stalked off back to where the others were waiting. Mikaela turned to Arcee, wanting to ask her what she meant by that, but she had already followed Ratchet. Mikaela sighed, realizing that she never got clear answers with Autobots, save Optimus. And his was one she didn't like. She sighed, then followed Arcee and Ratchet.

They were discussing the attack when Mikaela walked up. Taking a seat next to Sam, Mikaela was content to listen. She didn't have a lot of input anyway, since she wasn't a robot and she didn't have their technology.

"They found us because of your message, Optimus. It reached Autobots and Decepticons alike, whether you want to admit it or not. And now, they have her pegged. You should have been more careful with the transmission." Arcee's voice rose angrily over the din of arguments. Mikaela's eyes shot up at Arcee. Pegged?

"What do you want me to do, Arcee? There's nothing I can do to change it. What is done is done. We must now face the threat on Earth." Optimus snarled at Arcee. He growled at her, on a frequency to low for anyone else to hear. "Don't you think I've realized that? Don't you think I know what kind of danger I have put her in?"

"Well maybe you should just accept her and help her, Optimus. She loves you. Any fool can see that. Well, _almost_ any fool." She hissed, glaring pointedly at Optimus. Optimus growled at her, a deep roar coming from the very core of his engines. He looked away from Arcee, and over to Mikaela. She was talking quietly to Sam. She looked scared. Her face was white, and he could see her hands were clasped tightly in her lap, the knuckles white.

"She's terrified, Arcee. She's been through a lot in the last twenty-four hours." Optimus sighed, crossing his arms over his huge chest.

"Apparently." Arcee said, her own gaze flickering to Mikaela, who became aware she was being watched. Her eyes briefly met Arcee's, then traveled to Optimus, who held her gaze steadily. "You are a fool, Optimus Prime. You are wise, cunning, honorable, and noble, but a fool nonetheless. You will regret rejecting her one day." Arcee said slowly. "Mark my words, old friend. That day will come."

* * *

Many, many, many miles away, a black, beat up police car was slowly working on repairs to an old, familiar enemy. 


	9. Chapter 9

Insanely short, but necessary.

* * *

Barricade was pissed. Actually, pissed was an understatement. He was livid. The repairs were taking forever and he needed Decepticon medics. Unfortunately those were in short supply, since he was pretty sure he and Frenzy were the only two Decepticons left on Earth. Barricade needed help. 

Retrieving Megatron had been the easy part. He had sent a fully functional Frenzy on board the ship that had dropped Megatron into the sea. Frenzy had scanned a lifeboat, and, as a lifeboat reinforced by Cybertronian technology, Frenzy had been able to gather most of Megatron's remains before they had gotten even remotely close to the bottom of the sea. Fixing Megatron, however, was quickly becoming a chore. Barricade wasn't a medic. He was a warrior, a brute force tactician, a killing-shooting-murdering war machine. He couldn't save a life if his own depended on it, nor would he want too. Banging his fist on a wall, he let out an enraged growl. He needed Ratchet. Barricade knew the Autobot would never agree to fix Barricade, even at the cost of his own life. That was out of the question.

Standing and walking to the edge of the abandoned warehouse where they had taken refuge, Barricade pondered the use of bait to tempt Ratchet. Dead bait, really. Whoever was bait wouldn't last. He tossed the idea out the window. The damned Autobot wouldn't fix Megatron, even _with_ bait. Barricare just needed that infernal idiot Starscream to stay out of his way. Starscream had been intent on leading ever since Megatron's defeat and even before that. Barricade let out a horrible laugh at this. Starscream? Lead? He lacked the drive; the motivation it took to lead a powerful army. Starscream wanted glory and power, that was it. He wanted everything to himself. No, it took more than that to lead the Decepticons. Yes, it took power. But it also took strength. Fear. Motivation. _Desire_. Megatron had those qualities in his dark, deep twisted mind.

Slamming a wheeled fist to the ground again, Barricade let out a deafening roar. Frenzy cowered in the corner, waiting for Barricade to calm down. But he wouldn't calm down. Not this time.

Barricade knew what he needed. Human help. And he was pretty sure where he could find it.


	10. Chapter 10

This chapter didn't want to come out. Some serious editing is going to have to come because I do not like this chapter one bit. Thanks to Evanesence and Joni Mitchell for song lyrics in this one.

* * *

Mikaela was having nightmares again. Decepticons were everywhere. Explosions were ringing through her head, vehicles were crashing and people were dying. So many people died that day…Mikaela tossed and turned, desperately willing her body to wake up. Starscream was in front of her, laughing maniacally as he lifted his gun to meet her face. Closing her eyes she waited for the blast, but it never came. There was Arcee, taking the blow in the arm. Starscream was recharging, and as Arcee lay on the ground recuperating, Starscream's next missile launched directly at Mikaela…

With a scream, Mikaela sat up in bed. She was drenched in sweat, and panting for breath. She was so sick of the nightmares. They were coming more and more frequently now, every night they came and they were always the same horrifying dream. She shuddered and glanced at the clock. It was four in the morning. There was no way Mikaela wanted to go back to sleep after that, but she was so tired. The events of the past few days had taken their toll on her body. She jumped as she saw Arcee's concerned face in her window.

"I heard you scream. Everything A-OK?" Arcee asked anxiously. Mikaela gave a small nod.

"Yeah. Just…bad dreams." Mikaela shuddered. "They come every night."

"Try to get back to sleep, Mikaela. I have a feeling the next few days are going to be quite eventful, and sleep is a luxury that you may not have." Arcee said solemnly. Mikaela nodded, lying back down. Closing her eyes, she tried her best not to think about her dreams. She finally fell into a relatively dreamless sleep again, although her mind was plagued with flickering images just beyond her reach.

* * *

The next day, it was all over the news. Several meteors had hit the earth, but there were no meteors in the gaping holes in the ground. Optimus had called everyone together immediately. No other allies save Arcee had come, therefore given the current situation, he assumed they were Decepticons.

"Seems like it's just all bad news lately, eh?" Ironhide griped as he settled his large frame onto the ground.

"Yes, it does." Ratchet said, pointedly looking at Mikaela and Arcee. Mikaela gave a shrug while Arcee looked innocent.

"Should you try to contact them?" Sam asked nervously. "I mean, what if there are more Autobots?"

"If we do so, we run the risk of exposing ourselves and our location to the Decepticons." Ironhide said, his gravelly voice sounding menacing. Sam gulped and nodded.

"Then how will you know?" Mikaela asked. "Just wait and see if they contact you?"

"There's no need for that." A steely feminine voice cut through the clearing, and Mikaela gazed in amazement as two Autobot's emerged from the forest edge into the clearing. Arcee gave an excited whine.

"Chromia! Elita!" Arcee jumped from her place beside Mikaela and ran to greet the two females. Mikaela smiled in relief as they embraced Arcee.

"It is good to see you, Arcee." The other pink female said to Arcee, placing a hand on her shoulder. "We have missed you. All of you." She added, her gaze flickering to Optimus. Mikaela didn't miss the look, and she didn't like it. Glancing around to the other Autobots, she realized not everyone was happy to see them. Bumblebee looked pleased, as did Ratchet, but Ironhide was staring at Chromia with such a strange look that Mikaela didn't know what to think. Optimus was staring at Elita with a look of mixed emotion. Mikaela's insides began to twist uneasily as she reflected on the glance that had passed between Elita and Optimus.

"Ah, it is good to see you too, Elita. I'm glad you received my message." Arcee said warmly. Mikaela saw Optimus' eyes narrow at Arcee.

"I do hate to rain on the parade, but we were followed." The blue female interrupted. "We must decide what to do before the attack comes."

"Who followed you, Chromia?" Ironhide asked, his voice sounding hoarse.

"From what we could tell, there were four Decepticons behind us. I do not know where they landed." She said, her voice brisk. Mikaela sucked in her breath. _Four_?

"Which four?" Optimus asked, his eyes clearly avoiding Mikaela's and Elita's.

"We don't know, Optimus." Elita said, forcing him to look at her. "All we know is that they were not far behind us."

"Turn on the radio." Mikaela said, her voice a little too loud. Heads turned to look at her, and her cheeks flushed. "The news will tell you where they landed, I'm sure. Just turn on a radio." Bumblebee's radio crackled to life, and true to Mikaela's word, the locations of the meteor strikes, including Elita's and Chromia's were revealed. She received a look of approval from Ratchet, but her heart was aching for Optimus. He was blatantly ignoring her, and she was reasonably sure why. And she was angry he had lied to her. He had told her he had no one special, and now, a beautiful pink Elita was standing in their midst, making goo-goo eyes at Optimus. Something had gone on between them, and Mikaela did not appreciate the lie one bit. She felt betrayed.

"We must prepare for battle." Optimus said, turning his back on everyone. His mind was a race of emotions. He had never expected to see Elita again. But now she was here, and bound to create problems between himself and Mikaela. She wouldn't mean to, but it was going to happen. He turned his head, chancing a look at Mikaela, and saw the anger in her eyes. He sighed inwardly. He knew it. He would need to explain to her, tell her he had thought Elita dead. He was also angry with Arcee for sending a message without consulting him first.

"Optimus is right. We must prepare." Ironhide said, getting to his feet. The other Autobots stood, guns and cannons coming out. Ironhide went through each Autobot with care, inspecting their weapons. Optimus took this time to corner Mikaela.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you." He said, kneeling in front of her. Mikaela shrugged.

"Hey, its ok, its not like we are…together or anything like that right?" She said, her voice cold and harsh.

"Mikaela, please, try to understand-"

"I think I understand better than you think, Optimus. It's easy to see." She cut him off, aware that her words were hurting him. She didn't care. She had tried and tried to make him see, make him understand how much she cared, how much she truly loved him. "I'm not chasing you anymore, Optimus. I'm done. You made your decision, and now there are beautiful females here that can take care of you much better than a _human_." Her emphasis on the word human made the word sound like a snake. If Optimus could have cried, he would have done so.

"Please, listen-"

"I refuse to listen to anything else you have to say, Optimus. Like I said, I'm finished chasing you. Why don't we each stick to our own species. It'll be better that way right? This way, no one gets…hurt. Heartbroken." Her words were cutting him like a thousand knives.

"Mikaela, I lo-"

"You've lied to me and hurt me enough. Stop trying to 'explain.' I'm not going to listen." Mikaela cut him off before he could utter the words that would break her open. She ignored him as he sank to the ground, barely supporting himself through his grief, a low emphatic rumble coming from deep inside of his chest. She turned her back on Optimus, brushing away the tears that slowly trickled down her cheeks. She couldn't stay here any longer. Let them fight their own damn war. She was through. She had had enough heartbreak and sadness to last her forever. She took off running into the woods. Her eyes were so blurry with tears that she couldn't see where she was going. Trees and branches scraped at her arms and legs as she ran. She ignored it all, running blindly through the forest. Coming to a stop under a large tree, she leaned heavily against it, panting and sobbing. Sinking to the ground, she drew her knees up and buried her head. She never noticed the shadows above her head until it was too late.

-------

Optimus sighed and let her run. She needed a moment alone, that much he could tell. He would send Bumblebee after her eventually to bring her back. Bumblebee had an uncanny knack for retrieving the humans, and it seemed to be very useful with Sam and Mikaela. Elita had seen the whole thing, and walked over to Optimus, laying a large metallic hand on his arm.

"I'm sorry, Optimus." She said, watching him carefully as he turned around. His eyes met her own, and in a flickering instant, everything he had felt for her rushed back. But in the blink of an eye, it was gone. What he had had with Elita was nothing like what he could have with Mikaela, and he knew it. And since he couldn't be with Mikaela, he would be with no one.

"Thank you." Optimus said, turning back around.

"I'm not finished." Elita said firmly. Optimus said nothing, and didn't turn back around.

"I realize things have changed. I realize that you no longer love me." Elita said, choosing her words very carefully. Optimus shifted, but still said nothing. Elita, encouraged, continued. "You must realize that I feel the same way about you as you do me." Elita said, hoping she wouldn't hurt him. She was reasonably sure that she wouldn't, it seemed the little human was the only one who could really do that. After all their years together, the experiences and the romance, she knew Optimus enough to tell when he was hurting inside. Optimus swung around to look at her, brow raised.

"Do you, now?" He questioned her. She smiled softly at him, and nodded.

"I have another…" She stated slowly. "After the explosion, I lost my memory bank for a while. There was one who helped me regain it, and in doing so, I came to care very deeply for him." Elita said, picking up Optimus' hand. "I realized, once my memory was regained, that you must believe me dead. And I left it that way, on purpose. I felt that both of us could move on." Elita smiled brightly at him, her blue orbs glittering in the moonlight. Optimus nodded once at her, a hint of a smile on his face. It vanished quickly though, and he looked down at his large hand in Elita's. Elita gave his hand a squeeze.

"Go find her." Elita said, then dropped his hand.

"I think I am the last person she would want to see right now." Optimus said ruefully. Elita nodded in understanding.

"Send Bumblebee then. Either way, bring her back immediately. The Decepticons are on the move tonight." Elita said. Turning, she made her way back to the other Autobots. Optimus strode purposefully over to Bumblebee. After a few hushed instructions, Bumblebee gave a nod and took off into the woods. Sam waited patiently for his friend at the base of a tree, staring hard at Optimus. Optimus saw Sam's look, and met his eyes. From the look, Optimus assumed he had heard at least one of the arguments that night. There had been too many, they were wasting time. Sam stood up and walked over to Optimus, who looked curiously down at the human. Sam stared up at him, then with a yell, he kicked Optimus in the foot. Optimus suppressed laughter as Sam winced and grabbed at his foot.

"Yes, Sam?" Optimus knelt down in front of him. "And what did I do to deserve that?"

"Quit playing with Mikaela!" Sam hissed, his eyes glaring into Optimus'. "All you keep doing to her it hurting her. You wont have her, but you wont let me love her either! Make your choice, _Prime_!" Sam growled at him.

"Back off, Sam. Do not interfere." Optimus growled at him, and Sam looked slightly alarmed, but kept his resolve.

"Just love her, Optimus. I blew my chance. Don't blow yours." Sam said quietly, tears in his eyes. Optimus studied the human. They were capable of such sincere and heartfelt emotions. He watched Sam angrily wipe the tears from his face, and stalk off. Sam was right and Optimus knew it. When Bumblebee brought Mikaela back, he would talk to her. Make her listen. And he would confess everything he felt to her.

"What is our next move, Optimus?" Ironhide was by his side, watching Optimus' changing facial expressions. That human girl was sidetracking their leader.

"Find the Decep-" Optimus was cut off as Bumblebee crashed from the woods into the clearing, and collapsed on the ground. In an instant, everyone was around him, Sam screaming and trying in vain to shove Autobot's out of his way to get to Bumblebee.

"Bumblebee! What happened?" Ratchet asked, kneeling down next to him and examining him. There were scorch marks all over Bumblebee's body. Sam whimpered as he managed to push his way to the side of Bumblebee's head. There was a large, cruel hole in Bumblebee's chest, dangerously close to his spark casing. Ratchet turned to Optimus, looking worried. Strains of songs were emerging from Bumblebee's radio, his voice capacitors damaged again.

_Isn't something missing?  
Isn't someone missing me?_

_Don't it always seem to go  
That you don't know what you got till it's gone?_

Bumblebee was trying to tell them something in the only way he knew how. The pain he was in went beyond anything he had ever experienced. His legs had been damaged at the attack in Mission City, but this pain was more powerful than anything he'd ever experienced. Robotic whines and strains were heard as Bumblebee tried to speak

"Oh, God, Bumblebee!" Sam cried out, grasping onto the side of Bumblebee's head. "Ratchet, do something!"

"I'm trying, Sam! Calm down! Get him out of here!" Ratchet shouted, trying unsuccessfully to pry Sam away from Bumblebee. Optimus reached down and grabbed Sam around the waist, physically lifting him away from Bumblebee. Sam was beyond hysterical. His scream and cries were echoing through the forest.

"Shut him up he's going to give our location away!" Chromia hissed at Optimus, and Ironhide nodded his agreement.

"Sam! SAM!" Optimus bellowed. Sam's cries stopped as he stared at Optimus in fear. "Be quiet. The last thing we need is for you to draw the Decepticons back here and endanger all of us!" Optimus said, glowering at Sam. Sam nodded, his eyes flickering back to Bumblebee. He handed Sam to Arcee, who took him with a look of slight disdain on her face. Optimus strode back to Ratchet and Bumblebee.

"Fix his speech first. We need to know who did this." Optimus said quietly. Ratchet looked up to Optimus, a question in his eyes. If he stopped the repairs to Bumblebee's chest, Bumblebee could die. Optimus closed his eyes, then nodded his permission. Ratchet shook his head, and changed direction. Working slowly and tediously, he managed to reconnect the delicate wires that comprised of Bumblebee's speech capacitors. Leaning back, Ratchet nodded.

"Try to talk, Bumblebee."

"Hurts…" Bumblebee groaned, grasping his chest. "Pain…" Sam started struggling against Arcee, who held him tight.

"Stop struggling, be quiet and shut up, or I'm going to squish you." Arcee murmured pleasantly in Sam's ear, her grip tightening uncomfortably around his waist. Sam stopped moving.

"Who did this to you?" Optimus asked, nodding to Ratchet to continue the repairs to Bumblebee's chest.

"B-b-b-b-barric-c-c-cade…" Bumblebee cried out audibly as Ratchet worked.

"Barricade?" Optimus said, a bubble of fear rising in his chest. "Where is Mikaela?"

"B-b-b-b-barric-c-c-cade…" Bumblebee cried out, jerking against Ratchet. Ratchet looked at Optimus in alarm.

"Hold him down! If he jerks like that again while I'm working, he could cause severe damage to his spark casing, I'm working with limited tools and with very little time." Ratchet said urgently, motioning to Ironhide and the others. Ironhide and Chromia each took a side, pressing down on Bumblebee to keep him from moving. Elita took Bumblebee's feet, and watched Ratchet in silence as he began to work again. Arcee continued to hold Sam, his cries muffled by his jacket he had pressed to his face. The whole forest was quietly silent and the Autobot's who held Bumblebee down watched as Optimus' face showed the quiet, undeniable rage deep within him. Arcee stared in alarm as Optimus' blue optics flickered to red momentarily. Walking uneasily over to him, she lay a hand on his shoulder.

"We'll find her." Optimus swung around to look at her, his eyes ablaze with anger. He said nothing to her, his eyes showing all the words that didn't need to be said. Arcee's hard gaze met his own as she handed Sam over to a very irritated looking Chromia.

"Trust me, Optimus, we will get her back."

Without a backward glance, Arcee bounded off into the forest, eager to track Mikaela before the trail grew cold.


	11. Chapter 11

"Ironhide, come with me. Activate your homing device so Ratchet and Bumblebee can find us." Optimus spoke quickly, giving orders. Ratchet had confidence Bumblebee would be fine, but he had his doubts that Bumblebee would be ready for battle so soon after being injured. He expressed these doubts to Optimus.

"I'm not sure Bumblebee will be ready." Ratchet said doubtfully. Optimus turned to him, ready to speak, when Bumblebee spoke for himself.

"I will be ready." He sounded sure of himself, and irritated that others were speaking for him. He was more than eager to get Mikaela back. He knew his human cared for her, even though they were obviously not meant for each other. Sam stepped forward.

"I'm coming, too." He stated, glaring at the Autobot's, daring them to argue with him.

"No, Sam." Bumblebee said from the ground. "It will be…too dangerous." Sam glared at him.

"If anyone is in no shape to go, it's you Bee. I'm coming." Sam stated, folding his arms. Optimus looked at him with a sigh; there really wasn't any way to stop the tiny human from going, other than tying him to a tree.

"Fine. Sam, come with me." Optimus glanced first to Ironhide, then to Elita and Chromia. "We must catch up with Arcee. Autobots, roll out!"

* * *

Mikaela awoke lying down on a car seat in total darkness. Her head was aching and her back was sore. She didn't remember much after her first initial shout of alarm in the forest. She had stopped crying, and had simply been resting and thinking when something had moved in the trees above her. Mikaela had shouted, then something had hit her on the back of her head, and everything had gone black. Now, she was in the back seat of a car, clueless as to where she was going, or whom she was with. She gave a small groan and rubbed her forehead. Her vision was still blurry from the blow, and she had a massive headache that reverberated throughout her entire head. 

Sitting up and rubbing her eyes, she tried to clear her brain and eyes to get a good look at her surroundings. She noticed bars between the front seat and back seat, and assumed she was in the back of a police car. Peering hesitantly into the front drivers seat, she noted in fear that there was no driver. Oh, _fuck_. She gave a small scream as Frenzy popped his head over the passenger seat and started chittering away at her in Cybertronian. She leaned back, pressing herself against the car seat and closed her eyes, willing this all to be a bad dream. Opening her eyes, she was quickly reminded that it was not a dream by Frenzy's face being inches from her own. She gave a yelp and swiped at him, and he chattered angrily at her, shaking a metallic fist in her face. She knew immediately she was inside of the same Decepticon that had attacked Sam. Barricade.

"Stop harassing the human, Frenzy." Mikaela heard a deep rumbling voice echo around her, vibrating her body through to her spine. She shivered, although she wasn't cold.

"Thanks…" She said to the car, her voice cracking in fear. Barricade gave a dark chuckle.

"Don't thank me yet, human. You are only alive because you will be useful to me in the near future, provided you cooperate." The voice and the words chilled her to the core, and she began shaking violently. What did he want with her? "You will be doing me a favor very shortly, and if you don't, I'll kill you." His words were short and to the point, and Mikaela couldn't come back with anything. She was terrified, she had no doubt in her mind that if she didn't do as he asked he would indeed kill her. Knowing this, she simply sat in quiet resolution and stared out the window as Frenzy chattered away and squirmed in the front seat. They rode like that in silence for quite some time, Barricade easily weaving in and out of traffic with his police sirens.

"So…why a cop car?" Mikaela finally asked him.

"It's the Decepticon way." Barricade replied with a snort. Mikaela licked her lips in apprehension.

"What…what do you want me for?" Mikaela asked, her hands clasped together tightly.

"Quiet, human. You'll find out soon enough." Barricade snarled at her, making a hard left turn into a large parking lot in front of a very abandoned building. Mikaela looked at the building in concern. The others would never be able to find her out here. Barricade burst through the front doors, and coming to a halt just inside the building. Mikaela hesitantly got out of the car, and cowered on the ground as Barricade transformed before her eyes. He was a horribly fascinating creature, terrifying though he was. Frenzy scrambled past her, excitedly jabbering. Barricade glared at Frenzy, who quieted.

"Now, little human." Barricade knelt down before her, his face inches from her own. "You'll do exactly as I tell you, or you will die." Mikaela stared at him in silence. Barricade pointed to something in the recess of the warehouse, unmoving. Mikaela could barely make out a huge shadow. Barricade grinned nastily.

"Go have a look." Mikaela really didn't want too, but she followed Barricades instructions. Walking gingerly over to the large shadows, she gave a shriek of terror and fell back as she recognized Megatron's large form lying on the ground. The huge hole that the Allspark had left had been restored, his leg reattached, and other various injuries were repaired.

"_Shit_!" Mikaela's shriek had echoed through the warehouse.

"What I need for you to do is to finish the job. There are certain repairs I cannot make. I am no medic. You hands are small and are necessary to connect the appropriate wires. Given your past, I assume you know how to do this." Barricade said pleasantly, his hand giving a twitch, and in place of the hand there was now a large cannon, aimed directly at her face.

"Do it now, or I'll kill you." Mikaela was trembling.

"I...I can't…" Optimus would never speak to her again if he knew she was the one to bring back Megatron. Barricade growled, shoving the cannon in her face.

"Then you will die." Barricade said, his gun clicking as it loaded itself. Mikaela swallowed and closed her eyes, waiting for the blow. It never came. Instead, the doors to the warehouse burst open, and in opening her eyes she saw standing in the door way one of the most terrifying Decepticons she had ever seen. It was huge. It towered over Barricade, dwarfing him by compassion. Barricade lowered the weapon, looking pleased to see the new arrival.

"Shockwave." Barricade said, grinning wickedly. Mikaela cowered behind Barricade, terrified as she watched the exchange. Frenzy was still, keeping a gun on Mikaela.

"Barricade." The new voice was low, and coldly calculating. "I bring support troops." Dark shapes were appearing behind Shockwave, and as he stepped through the busted doorway, three figures were cast into the light. Each one was terrifyingly worse than the previous, although none matched the dread Shockwave induced. One stepped forward, and Mikaela was amazed to see it was female.

"Thunderblast." Barricade said, shaking her hand. The female looked irritated, giving a glance over her shoulder. Another Decepticon was directly behind her, staring at her with eyes full of worship. Barricade snorted in amusement, as Thunderblast walked away,

"Hello Shortround. Still following Thunderblast around like a pet?" Barricade chuckled, the sound frightening to Mikaela's ears. The one called Shortround growled at Barricade, and didn't answer. Instead, he moved to stand near Thunderblast's side, apparently answering Barricade's question without meaning too. The female rolled her eyes, obviously annoyed with Shortround, but said nothing. The last Decepticon stepped forward, and reached out to shake Barricade's hand.

"Lugnutz. It has been many millennia since we have last spoken." The Decepticon nodded his agreement, then stood aside for Shockwave. Barricade took this opportunity to explain the situation to Shockwave, informing him of his plans for Mikaela. Shockwave shined a light on her, illuminating her presence to the other Decepticons. Mikaela met the one large robotic eye of Shockwave.

"Has she done it yet?" Shockwave asked, his voice low.

"No. She has refused." Barricade said in annoyance. "I was actually about to kill her and find someone else when-"

"That will not be necessary." Shockwave interrupted him. "Killing her would not benefit us at all." Mikaela let her breath out in a whoosh, which Shockwave heard, and added: "Yet." Mikaela looked up at him with terrified eyes, not speaking a word.

"Then what good does it do us keeping her alive?" Thunderblast snapped, folding her arms over her purplish blue chest. Shockwave looked over at Mikaela, who was trembling.

"Sometimes it is best to wait and think things through. Blowing things up is not always the proper thing to do, Thunderblast." Shockwave said, his cold and calculating voice sending chills up Mikaela's spine. Shockwave turned to face Mikaela.

"You refuse to repair our leader?" He asked the trembling girl.

"I…I do." She stammered.

"Your courage is admirable, but foolish." Shockwave said, then motioning to Barricade. "Keep her under guard. We will repair Megatron ourselves."

"I have tried, Shockwave. I took the fleshling because the remaining repairs are to delicate to be done by us. Even Frenzy could not achieve it." Barricade said, giving Mikaela a nasty glare. Gulping, she cast her eyes to Shockwave, who seemed to have taken over the leadership role. Shockwave was momentarily silent, until he turned to her. She screamed in pain as his robotic eye flashed, causing her to be temporarily blinded. She could feel her mind being penetrated, and all thoughts of her, her and Optimus, her and Sam, and all of the Autobots were laid bare to Shockwave. Her most innate feelings and thoughts for Optimus were stripped from her and dissected by this monster. She clawed the ground, writhing and screaming as Shockwave penetrated her mind, warping it, extracting memories from it, and controlling it. When she finally stood up, she knew neither herself nor the Decepticons in front of her. The only thing she knew was that she must fix the giant robot in front of her. Thunderblast's cruel laughter echoed throughout the deserted warehouse. Lugnutz and Shortround remained silent as Barricade and Shockwave watched Mikaela begin her repairs.

* * *

Ok guys, I realize that the whole mind control thing is a bit of a stretch, but since I couldn't make Mikaela cooperate in any other way (she fought with me on this too) I figured this was the best way to go. This is yet another chapter I am unhappy with. 


	12. Chapter 12

Megatron's repairs were nearly complete. Shockwave was pleased with the small human's progress, and also pleased at the information he had extracted from her mind. She was still under his control and while she remained under his control she would have no recollection of the Autobots. Shockwave had kept the information he had gathered from Mikaela's mind to himself for the time being. She would be crucial in the capture and demise of Optimus Prime, along with the others. Shockwave couldn't believe his luck. Barricade had managed to capture a star mechanic and Optimus' most prized possession all at once. He watched the girl hard at work on Megatron, her tiny fingers using the delicate precision needed to reconnect the most crucial wires. Shockwave grinned to himself. When Megatron was revived, he would release the girl from her mental bonds, as well as gracing her with the knowledge she had betrayed everyone she loved by bringing back Megatron. He could think of no better torture.

* * *

Low mechanical whines emitted from Bumblebee as Ratchet finished his last repairs. Sitting up, Bumblebee stretched, testing his joints. He slowly stood up as Ratchet watched in silence. Bumblebee glanced at Ratchet, and nodded. Time to go. Ratchet looked at him with a sigh, and nodded in agreement. Ratchet activated his tracking device, locating Ironhide.

"They are quite far from here." Ratchet said.

"Then we had better hurry." Bumblebee said, downsizing himself until a bright yellow camaro rested in front of Ratchet. Tires squealing, Bumblebee disappeared onto the main road. Following Bumblebees example, Ratchet followed, the yellow search and rescue vehicle kicking up dust as the tires peeled out.

* * *

Sam rode in Optimus in silence for several hours. He was reasonably sure that Optimus would be able to hear him if he spoke, similar to the way Bee did. Finally, after hours of complete silence, Sam broke the tension.

"Do…do we know where they took her?" Sam asked, afraid to know but needing to hear it.

"Not yet. We are still in pursuit of Arcee. We've tried to get a signal back from her to ask a specific location, but she keeps blocking them. We think this means she has found them, but is reluctant to communicate. This is probably due to other Decepticons in the area. Revealing herself would be foolish at this point, since she has no backup. All we can do is continue to ping her and tracer her that way."

"So, we have no idea where we are going, and we could be walking into a trap?" Sam asked, raising a brow.

"It is possible." Optimus stated quietly. "Do not think I haven't taken that into consideration." Sam nodded, glancing into the side mirrors at the vehicles behind them. It looked as though Chromia had scanned a light blue BMW convertible, and it was zipping along closely with Elita, who was a pink motorcycle, not unlike Arcee. Ironhide's huge black GMC truck was bringing up the rear.

"What will we do if it is a trap?" Sam asked urgently, twisting his hands in his lap. Optimus seemed to give a sigh.

"If it is a trap, then we go in blindly. We protect humans. That includes Mikaela, and yourself. The others know this and realize this. The Decepticon threat is ever present. The war is never over." As Optimus' words sank in with Sam, the truck continued on at high speeds in silence.

"I hope she's ok." Sam said quietly.

"As do I." Optimus said, a hint of sadness in his voice. Sam stared at the steering wheel; he always directed his words to Bee's steering wheel. An overwhelming sadness came over Sam at the thought of Bumblebee.

"Don't push her away, Optimus." Sam said quietly to the steering wheel. "It's the biggest mistake you'll ever make."

"I fear I have already made it, Sam Witwicky."

"Then fix it." Sam stated. "I can't fix it with her. I tried. She's a very special person, Optimus."

"I know."

They rode in silence again, Sam constantly checking the side mirrors for a glimpse of Bumblebee. Sam jumped as Optimus screeched to a halt and pulled off into the woods on the side of the road.

"We are nearly there. Arcee has been watching what she can, and I fear her news may not be good. She is coming to meet us." Optimus said grimly, opening his door for Sam to get out. Stumbling out, Sam waited as the others came up and joined the group, clicking and whirring as they transformed. Sam saw Arcee appear from a clearing in the woods, her face grim.

"Status?" Ironhide said, shifting his weight as Chromia came up next to him.

"Not good. They've got Mikaela working on something, from what I can't tell. It's hard to get a good view when there are six Decepticons and one of you." Arcee said, how voice low. Sam sucked in a breath. Six?

"Six?" Elita voiced Sam's concern. Arcee nodded, looking suddenly very tired.

"Barricade. Shockwave. Thunderblast. Shortround. Lugnutz. Frenzy." She added the last name in disdain. Optimus' let out a low growl. It would be nearly impossible to get Mikaela out of there. "Starscream is still MIA, he hasn't shown his face around here yet." Arcee stated, her voice cool.

"Sam. You may be the only one to get in there undetected." Ironhide said, swiveling his head to look at the human. Sam's face was white.

"Wh-what? How can _I_ get her out of there?" Sam asked, his voice catching. Ironhide glared at him, looking annoyed.

"You're small. You can crawl in and out of places we obviously cannot. You may be her only hope, Sam." Ironhide said with a growl. Sam glanced at Optimus, who looked passive. On the inside, however, it was driving him insane not being able to do anything about it.

"She's at least alive though, correct?" Optimus asked, directing his question at Arcee.

"Yes. She's been acting…odd. All she has been doing is mechanical work. I can't see what she's working on but I've got a really bad feeling about it." Arcee said, glancing around at the others.

"Sam, you've got to get in there and at least tell us what's going on. If you can't get her out right then, don't worry about it we will get her. But we have to know what the Decepticons are planning." Elita said, making a fist with her hand. Chromia nodded in agreement.

"Yes, Sam. Find out what it is they are working on, and if and only if you can, rescue Mikaela." Chromia said, glancing around, her gaze catching Ironhide's. He gave her a ghost of a smile, then concentrated on the conversation.

"Exactly. Right now, our main objective is to find out there plan so we can stop it before it gets out of hand. Unfortunately, that may require leaving Mikaela behind." Elita said.

"We leave no one behind." Optimus said dangerously. Elita looked at him, raising a brow.

"You would endanger us all for one human?" Elita said, folding her arms. Optimus shook his head.

"I would endanger myself. If all goes as planned and Sam can get her out, we will not need to worry. If problems arise, I will rescue her myself." Optimus stated matter-of-factly.

"I will be behind you, Optimus." Ratchet said, coming up to the group, Bumblebee in tow.

"Bee!" Sam literally squealed as he rushed over to Bumblebee, giving his foot a hug. Bumblebee looked down at his human in amusement, then over to Optimus.

"I will give my life to help you, Optimus. We will always be behind you." Bumblebee said, reaching down and giving Sam a pat on the head with a large finger. It almost knocked Sam senseless, but he grinned up at Bee anyway.

"I will also help you." Said Ironhide, walking to Optimus. "I would never abandon you."

"Same goes for me." Chromia said. Elita looked annoyed.

"Look, I never said I was abandon-"

"I understand." Optimus cut Elita off. Elita looked infuriated, but said nothing else.

"Everyone ready? Sam, are you ready?" Optimus asked Sam, kneeling down in front of him. Sam gulped, then nodded. Optimus looked around and addressed the group.

"All right, Arcee, lead the way. Everyone, transform and roll out!"


	13. Chapter 13

Mikaela's mind was carefully blank as she carefully twisted and combined wires to connect the precious spark casing. She was nearly finished with the repairs to…what? She didn't know. She had no idea what she was fixing, only that she must fix it. She felt drops of sweat roll down her spine, soaking her shirt. Her jeans were soaked in sweat; she had been working for several hours. The importance of her task weighed heavily on her mind. Her hands trembled as she carefully connected the second to last set of wires. Looking up at her taskmaster, the one who gave her orders to her, she smiled triumphantly.

"I'm almost finished, sir." She said with a sense of pride. The figure nodded at her.

"You have done well. You will be rewarded for your work." It had spoken to her rarely, but when it did she had a sense of accomplishment. Mikaela grinned at the figure, elated at the praise. Turning back to her work, she continued connecting the last few wires.

Thunderblast came up to Shockwave, watching the human work.

"She's done well. She even managed to get his weapons back online. She's very close, Shockwave. And she's very good. What are your plans for her after she is finished, though? You aren't planning on keeping her around are you? She's just a liability." Shockwave glanced at Thunderblast.

"We'll let Megatron decide how valuable she really is." Shockwave watched Thunderblasy stomp off, and ignored her. Right now, his only concern was the young girl's progress.

Mikaela's nimble fingers grasped the correct wires, deftly twisting them together. Sparks flew as she 'hotwired' the offline Megatron. She never noticed the face peering in the window in front of her.

* * *

Sam was breathing heavily. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Mikaela was hard at work repairing something all right, and that something was Megatron. It was the very same something that had tried to kill him all those months ago. He felt sick. Why would she agree to do something like that? Why would she repair the one thing that would seek death and chaos among all living things? Sam was literally shaking in fear and rage. Mikaela glanced up, briefly meeting his eyes, but seeming to not notice him. Sam cringed as he saw her eyes. Instead of the beautiful crystal clear eyes he remembered, her eyes were glazed over a silver tint to her eyes. They looked strangely metallic. Sam shivered as her eyes lingered on his, then focused back on what she was doing. 

_Shit_. Sam though, scrambling down away from the mirror. He had to get to the others before Mikaela was finished. A loud explosion from inside the warehouse told him he was too late. Running as fast as he could, he ran towards where the Autobots were waiting.

* * *

Mikaela connected the last two wires in satisfaction. They sparked as she touched them together, and a low growl echoed through the abandoned warehouse. Mikaela hesitated only for a moment, then connected them fully and secured them. The large robotic form beneath her shuddered, and before she could move, the eyes flashed red, and a hand snapped up and grabbed her around her waist. She didn't scream, merely looked at the red glaring eyes with a grim sense of accomplishment. She had done it. 

Megatron looked at the human he was holding, then to the others in the room.

"Why is she here?" He snarled, squeezing Mikaela so hard she started squirming. Shockwave held up a hand, cause Megatron to loosen his grip, but only slightly. He motioned to the other Decepticons.

"Barricade and Frenzy retrieved your body, and fixed what they could. However they needed…a lighter touch." Shockwave said, glancing at Mikaela, who was hanging limply, watching Shockwave and waiting for further instructions. Megatron held her up in front of his face.

"She finished the job?" He questioned, his low voice growling through the air, his grip on Mikaela relentless. Shockwave nodded. Megatron nodded, setting her down. "Then I wont kill her yet."

"You may not want to anyway." Shockwave said, an evil tone in his voice. Leaned over toe Megatron, he whispered in his ear all the things he had learned from Mikaela's mind. Megatron exploded in dark laughter.

"So, the almighty leader has a weakness, and we just so happen to have her. Perfect." Megatron roared, his cruel laughter causing Mikaela to cover her ears. "Optimus' little prize…repaired the all powerful Megatron!"

* * *

Sam's breath was coming in short gasps as he ran. Crashing through the trees and landing in the midst of the Autobot's, Sam could barely speak. Optimus glanced at Bumblebee, who ruefully shrugged his shoulders. Optimus glanced at the tree line, hoping to see Mikaela emerge. She didn't. He knelt down in front of Sam, who was panting. 

"Well, Sam?" Optimus was afraid to hear Sam's response. He feared the worst, especially if Mikaela wasn't with him.

"Mikaela…Megatron…" Sam gasped, gripping his stomach. The fear and adrenaline had fueled him before, but now he was laying in a pathetic heap gasping and coughing for air.

"Megatron?" Optimus growled. Sam nodded.

"I was…peeking through a window, trying to get a glance as to what was going on. I didn't see anything at first, but then I saw sparks flying. And…and then I saw Mikaela." Sam shuddered. "I hope there is an explanation for it Optimus, I really do. But I saw Mikaela repairing Megatron!" Optimus gave a jerk as his insides twisted in gut wrenching betrayal.

"Her eyes, Optimus." Sam shivered. "I've never seen anything like it before. They were…glazed over with silver." He shuddered again. "It was like she was some kind of…zombie." Optimus' insides stopped twisting. Zombie?

"What do you mean, Sam?" Ironhide questioned.

"Well…our eyes met while she was working. It was the creepiest thing I've ever seen. It was like she didn't even know me, or even know I was there. Then she just went back to her work…" Sam said as he cuddled next to Bumblebee, who had stepped over next to Sam and picked him up, holding him close to his chest. Optimus leaned back in relief.

"It sounds like they've got her under their control." Arcee said slowly. "It did look like she refused them something at first…then they got angry." Arcee started pacing. "We've got to get her out of there. With Megatron back, she's in more danger than we first though." She stopped pacing, and glanced at Elita. "We _all_ are." Elita glared at her. They all looked up as a jet roared through the quiet night sky, towards the abandoned warehouse. Arcee looked at the group.

"Starscream. Come on guys, it's now or never." Arcee said, twitching her hands ever so slightly, her deadly weapons now exposed.

* * *

Thunderblast was pacing. She was getting bored, and Shortround was pissing her off more than usual. She longed to get a moment alone with Megatron, but he had conversing with Shockwave in low tones since he had arisen. The young human had been given her memories back, and had been staring in mute horror at Megatron with tears running down her face. This one aspect highly amused Thunderblast. The fact that Optimus' favorite little pet had brought back his most hated enemy delighted her. Frenzy had been trying his best to harass Mikaela, and that whole process even Thunderblast had to admit was amusing. Mikaela had finally beaten Frenzy over the head with a hammer, causing him to return to his radio state. She had watched as the human changed stations on Frenzy, and watched the human bang him over and over when he changed them on her. Frenzy, having finally given up, was playing the station Mikaela had selected. 

Mikaela sat facing the radio, hammer in hand, ready for Frenzy to change the station again. She was getting a small amount of pleasure at beating the small Decepticon. She figured if she was captured and pretty much just all around dead to the Decepticons and Autobot's alike. She could at least have some music she liked. Waving the hammer threateningly at Frenzy as the song acquired more static, she sighed and put her head in her hands.

_Now I will tell you what I've done for you -  
fifty thousand tears I've cried.  
Screaming, deceiving and bleeding for you -  
And you still won't hear me._

_Don't want your hand this time - I'll save myself.  
Maybe I'll wake up for once (wake up for once)  
Not tormented daily defeated by you  
Just when I thought I'd reached the bottom._

Mikaela listened to the song thoughtfully, the words tearing at her heart. She desperately wanted Optimus to save her, but after he found out what she had done, would he ever forgive her? She doubted it. She figured she would have to save herself this time, like the song said. What was she supposed to do about Frenzy? She could keep him in check as long as she had her hammer, but how long would she be able to do that? She didn't really have to contemplate long, as all of her hopes were dashed as the door burst open again, and a huge hulking figure stood in its place. Oh shit, she thought, gripping her hammer tightly. Starscream. He made his way inside, ignoring the others and pausing only to give Mikaela an evil smirk. He strode over to Megatron, and gave a half-hearted bow.

"I live to serve you, Lord Megatron." He said, his voice hissing in the darkness. Megatron laughed, a cold, cruel sound that made Mikaela shiver again and again.

"Do you, my little traitor? Were you not one of the pilots firing down at me in the last battle?" Megatron asked, watching Starscream in amusement. Starscream growled angrily.

"I would never-"

"Save the lies, Starscream. You are here now, and I wont kill you for what you did. Not yet, anyhow. You may still prove useful. Perhaps you can earn your honor back? Or is that too far gone?" Megatron said, watching Starscream struggle to contain his emotions.

"I helped Barricade capture the little-" Starscream growled, btu was cut off by Megatron again.

"I'm sure you did, Starscream."

Mikaela stayed silent; Frenzy's radio had also shut off. It seemed as though Frenzy had the same dislike for Starscream as she did. Mikaela tried to stay as unnoticeable as possible, which was difficult to do since Barricade had been watching her almost the entire time. During the argument between Starscream and Megatron, he had made his way over to Mikaela, sensing her urge to escape. Mikaela really hated Barricade. He terrified her, although they all had the same effect on her. Mikaela jumped as shots were fired, Starscream losing his temper at Megatron and firing into the ceiling. Bits of old plaster and wood rained down on the Decepticons as the room grew deathly quiet. A large chunk of wood fell from above Mikaela's head, and she yelped as she saw it coming down towards her head. She covered herself, waiting for the blow, but it never came. Curious, she looked up, and saw that she was being sheltered by Barricade. Incredulous, she opened her mouth to whisper, but he beat her to it.

"Don't think I feel for you. I'm simply keeping you alive because Megatron thinks that you will be useful." Barricade snarled quietly at her. Mikaela shut her mouth and gave him a dirty look. Looking away from him, she nearly jumped to see Sam's face staring in the window at her. She had a recollection of him staring in at her from earlier. Sam put a finger to his lips, and gave her a half hearted smile. Mikaela didn't return the smile, but gave a quick twitch of her head to signal she had seen him. The others must be around as well. But how were they going to avoid detection? These thoughts were going through her mind as the door burst open once more. Mikaela had a fleeting, hysterical though of the door finally getting blown to pieces, when it did. Two figures stood in the doorway, each one armed and ready. Mikaela wanted to cry in relief. Optimus and Arcee.

"Release the human." Optimus' voice rang through the warehouse. It was music to Mikaela's ears. Megatron laughed at him. Giving a flick of his wrist, Mikaela felt herself beign lifted from the ground by Barricade.

"Nice entrance, Optimus. However, we are aware of her…importance." Megatron said pleasantly to Optimus.

It was then that Mikaela felt the barrel of a very large, and very cold gun pressed to the side of her head, and heard the click as Barricade cocked it and waited for the signal to pull his trigger.

* * *

Is it obvious yet how much I love cliffhangers wheeee:D kudos to evanescence for the lyrics here. im gonna have to put together a soundtrack. hmm! 


	14. Chapter 14

This chapter I'm not terribly happy with, but I think it came out ok. I'm not good at action scenes.

* * *

Mikaela was having a hard time breathing. Barricade was squeezing her so hard that her breath was coming in short gasps. It didn't help having a fully loaded, very large cannon pointing at her temple. Everyone was totally silent, even Frenzy, who sat by Barricade's feet, giving Mikaela looks of complete hatred. Optimus and Arcee were unmoving, and Megatron was waiting expectantly for Optimus' answer. Mikaela could feel the thousands of years worth of hatred running through the air like electricity. She was surprised she didn't see the anger crackling in sparks around each robot. Mikaela's heart was beating fast. Too fast. She felt like it was about to jump out of her chest. The fear in her stomach was making her sick, and even though she squirmed a bit, the gun never moved from the side of her head. Barricade's grip did lesson a bit, making it easier for her to breath. Her small hands gripped the side of Barricade's large black forefinger that was wrapped around her waist. She was frantic, and her panicked face laid bare all of her emotions. Where were the others? Bumblebee? Sam? Ironhide, Chromia, Elita? Ratchet? Had only Arcee and Optimus undertaken the quest to rescue her? Mikaela dearly hoped not. If so, the Autobot's were severely outnumbered. It also rather hurt her feelings if they hadn't come.

Optimus had never been more terrified. And he had never been at more of a loss. He had no idea what to do. He wanted Mikaela out of there safely, but it seemed like that was out of the question, especially with Megatron there.

"I know you have the shard, Optimus. Give it to me!" Megatron broke the silence with a thunderous roar, shaking a fist at Optimus, yet refraining from attacking him. There would be time enough for that.

Optimus' blue optics widened briefly. They hadn't learned that from picking through Mikaela's mind?

The same thought had just entered Mikaela's own mind, piercing her life a knife. How had they not found that specific piece of information? In her pocket, resting comfortably against her leg, she could feel the warmth of the shard pulsating lightly against her. She had forgotten she had it. Perhaps that was how they did not know? Everything had been on her mind when Shockwave tore through it, from Optimus to Sam…except that. She had forgotten about it, therefore perhaps there was no memory for Shockwave to retrieve. It still didn't make the situation any better. Now, the Decepticons had Mikaela AND the Allspark shard. The only difference it might make would be if Optimus could safely get Mikaela into Autobot hands.

"Give me the human first." Optimus stated, his voice low and cold.

"Oh, I don't think so. See, we know how important she is. Especially to you." Megatron said, walking over to Barricade, who held Mikaela. Mikaela started squirming frantically against Barricade's grip, but this time the grip didn't slacken. Megatron watched Optimus the whole time, judging his reactions. Giving Mikaela's back a stroke with a long finger, Megatron was delighted to see Optimus struggling to contain his weapons and his composure. So, he had found a weakness in the Autobot after all. Perfect. "Besides, she brought me back. Gave me my spark back. Aren't you proud of your little mechanic? I rather think I would like to keep her as my pet." Megatron said, drawing a razor sharp finger under her chin, looking like a sensual gesture but in reality drawing blood in a fine line across Mikaela's chin. Wincing in pain, Mikaela drew a hand up under her chin, shakily wiping the blood away once Megatron's finger had moved.

"Stop!" Optimus shouted, the voice reverberating throughout the warehouse. Megatron looked at Optimus, an amused expression on his face.

"So I am correct, then, am I? Optimus cares for a pathetic little human." Megatron sounded deliciously pleased with the confirmation. "Then it won't be a problem for us to exchange then, will it? There's no need to involve the fleshling more than she already is."

Optimus was conflicted. He knew Mikaela still had the shard, so he had nothing to barter with. He knew that Megatron would never release Mikaela unless he got the shard in return, and even then it was doubtful he would keep his end of the bargain. Optimus' inner battle with himself was taking up precious time, and he knew it. The silence was unbearable, it was making Mikaela's head pound. The minutes ticked as nothing was said, and only Mikaela's heavy breathing was audible. She was uncomfortable in Barricade's vicelike grip, and, shifting her weight, she managed to arrange herself in a somewhat better position, although not by much.

"What made you take her, Barricade? You could have taken any mechanic." Arcee said, her clear voice echoing through the hall. She was only buying time for the other Autobot's to get in position. Barricade looked at her, amused.

"Optimus' original message. It was loaded with hints of her, especially her past, and the fact that she was important. I knew I could easily get another mechanic, but I figure she would be the best choice. I was correct."

"Enough talking, Optimus, the shard, now, or she dies." Megatron said, his hand clinching into a fist. He nodded to Barricade, who gripped Mikaela tighter and pressed the gun to her head, harder than before. There was a flicker in Optimus' eyes as he noticed the other Autobot's in place. A quick jerk of his head was enough to signal them to open fire. Shots exploded throughout the warehouse, causing the ceiling to rain down on them in large chunks. Mikaela threw her hands over her head as it fell, Barricade still holding her tightly, although instead of pressing a gun to her head, he was cradling her against his chest. Mikaela stared up at him, wide eyed. It felt like he was...protecting her. She could hear rapid machine gun fire coming from Barricade, and she panicked, not knowing whom he was shooting at. She could hear missiles being fired, robotics screams and yells echoing throughout the warehouse. She felt Barricade moving as he fired, and she frantically squirmed, trying to get loose from him in the confusion. His grip was deathly tight, and she couldn't get loose. She managed to get her head up, and got a brief glimpse of what was going on. It was Decepticon vs. Autobot, a horrible battle taking place in the huge abandoned warehouse. She could see Arcee and Thunderblast wrestling each other, occasional shots being fired. Everyone was a blur, nothing was in focus because it all was moving so fast.

Shortround and Lugnutz were dealing with Ironhide and Ratchet; Ironhide's missiles went flying through the air, missing Shortround by inches and exploding into the wall. Mikaela could hear Ratchet's saw buzzing through the air, connecting with metal and creating a high pitched shriek from Shortround that sent shivers up and down Mikaela's spine.

Shockwave had his hands full with Chromia and Elita, each female shooting at him, taking shots with machine guns whenever possible, and avidly trying to avoid Shockwaves missiles.

She saw Megatron throw Optimus into the wall, and watched in horror as Optimus fell to the ground, hidden by the huge bulk of Megatron. Mikaela began screaming and fighting, clawing at Barricade's hand until her fingernails were bloody. She heard Barricade's gravelly voice in her ear, telling her to stop squirming, but no, no she couldn't she had to get to Optimus-

And she was free. She hit the ground running, watching in terror as Megatron raised his cannon, aiming at Optimus' chest- and then Bumblebee was there, launching himself at Megatron, knocking him to the ground and taking hit after hit as Megatron pummeled him with a huge fist. He was so much bigger than Bumblebee, he didn't stand a chance. Mikaela's legs were pumping, her only thought: _get to Optimus. Get to Optimus_. Arcee flew across the room, hit by one of Thunderblast's rounds, slamming into the wall. She got up quickly, throwing herself back across the room and into Thunderblast, deftly avoiding missiles and bullets on the way. Mikaela screamed as she was picked up and literally thrown by Barricade into the wall as a missile from Starscream whizzed by her ear, her breath knocked out of her from the force of his throw. Unable to wrap her mind around Barricade saving her again, she ignored it by standing and running towards Optimus.

She gave a shout and covered her head as a body went sailing over her head, she didn't know who it was until she turned and saw Lugnutz hit the ground, eyes flickering and then going out. One down. Tucking and rolling, she managed to avoid getting hit by Starscream's shots that were aimed directly at her, he seemed to have some sort of vendetta against her. Luckily, Starscream was now distracted by Ironhide, giving her a clear view of Megatron and Optimus. She saw Bumblebee laying motionless in a heap off to the side, and she bit her lip in fear. She saw Sam running to Bumblebee, inhuman shrieks emitting from his mouth and tears running down his face. She could barely hear him over the noise.

"Bumblebee! Oh, God, _BUMBLEBEE_!"

"MOVE, Mikaela NOW!" Arcee's voice was heard over the sound of shots firing, and Mikaela stopped and turned, watching as the walls of the warehouse were crumbling, the whole building was coming down on top of them. She screamed in fear as she felt a hand wrap around her waist again, and she felt herself moving, the bot holding her taking off for the wall, barreling through the last standing wall cradling her to his chest and throwing them to safety. Struggling against the one holding her, she sat up and watched in mute terror as the building fell before her eyes.


	15. Chapter 15

Mikaela fought with all her might against the hand that held her, not giving a damn what kind of danger she would be in if she ran into the rubble. She had to get to them. Optimus. Ratchet. Ironhide. Oh God it was all her fault. The hand held her fast, and she heard a hiss in her ear.

"_Wait_." The voice sounded urgent, and she swung her head around to look at her rescuer. It was Barricade again.

"_Why_ do you keep saving me?" She snarled at him, fighting with all the strength she had left to free herself, but she was no match for the powerful Decepticon. He gave her a little shake.

"You go back in there and you are as good as dead. Just _wait_." Barricade whispered in her ear.

"It's better than sitting out here and waiting to die with _you_!" Mikaela shouted, pummeling Barricade's hand with her small fists. He gripped her tighter, causing her to squeak. As she fought, she could see movement in the rubble that had been the warehouse. She saw Megatron standing up, making his way over to Barricade. Mikaela went crazy then, screaming and shouting and yelling and hitting, punching and swinging her tiny fists in a vain attempt to free herself. She saw out of the corner of her eye some of the others emerging from the waste as well, although not everyone was there. Bumblebee and Sam were nowhere in sight, Optimus was gone, Chromia…Mikaela shut her eyes, hot tears pouring down her cheeks as she finally gave up and went limp. It was all her fault. She heard more missiles being fired, shouts, screams as robots on both sides were hit. She felt Barricades grip slacken as hi began firing as well, his rounds hitting Ironhide. She sprang loose again, taking off towards the broken warehouse.

"Oh God, Optimus!" Her shouts were barely audible even to herself. Reaching the warehouse, she began throwing pieces of rubble out of the way, digging desperately to find someone, any of them, it didn't matter.

"Mikaela…" She heard a voice to her left, and she frantically began to dig, finally uncovering a very shaken and very scared Sam.

"Sam, are you ok?" Mikaela asked, gripping Sam's hand and pulling him out of the rubble. Sam nodded his head shakily.

"Bumblebee, he's…he's still in there, he saved me, Mikaela, I can't get to him…" Sam's voice was panicked; he began to dig himself, shouting for Bumblebee, desperately hoping for sight or sound of his friend.

"Bumblebee!" Mikaela screamed, her hands raw and bloody from the night's event. She ignored the pain, her adrenaline running so high that she felt no pain. "Oh god, please, Bumblebee!" She was screaming, her voice was hoarse and scratchy, and her throat was on fire.

"I can't find him, Mikaela!" Sam shouted, stumbling over crumbling concrete and rotting wood. "Mikaela, where is he…help me!" Sam pleaded with her. She kept digging, throwing what she could out of her way, searching and hunting for Bumblebee. She heard a low whine coming from her right, and she scrambled to the spot, ripping pieces of wood out of the way.

"Sam, Sam help me!" She shouted to him, and he came running over. Helping her to lift the heavy pieces, they finally managed to uncover a deeply wounded Bumblebee.

"Oh shit, Mikaela fix him!" Sam cried, gripping her arm and begging her. "Please!"

"Sam, I can't, I'm not…I don't know how…" Sam cried out, jerking on her arm, shoving her to her knees in front of Bumblebee.

"Try!" Sam urged, ignoring the tears that streaked down his face. Mikaela stared at him for a moment, and nodded.

Fast hands working, she reassembled what she could. She didn't have the necessary tools to do any major repair work, but she had learned from reassembling Megatron what was necessary to keep Bumblebee alive. She wouldn't be able to keep him out of pain, but she would be able to at least keep him online. Her hands were shaking so bad that the wires she were holding sparked as she touched them together. Bumblebee shrieked in pain, and she winced at the cries. Murmuring apologies, she continued working, shaking hands finally connecting the necessary wires to keep Bumblebee from dying. Megatron had done a number on him, ripping the spark casing almost completely out of Bumblebee's chest. She couldn't even believe he was still alive. Connecting the last wires, she leaned back.

"I did what I could Sam, he's still really hurt but I've fixed his spark casing." Sam threw his arms around her, giving her a hug.

"You saved his life." He said, giving her a squeeze. She smiled uncomfortably, then looked around.

"Help me find Optimus." She said urgently, diving back into the rubble, searching for Optimus. Searching frantically for several precious minutes and finding and hearing nothing, Mikaela began to fear the worst. She jumped back as the rubble in front of her shifted, a massive hand sticking up out of the rubble, followed by the rest of Optimus. Mikaela cried with relief, rushing to him, clinging to an arm. She felt a tight grip around her waist, then nothing as her and Sam were shoved away.

"Get back." He said, his voice low. "Starscream." The jet was flying low over the trees, dropping bombs on the Autobot's that were left fighting. Mikaela licked her dry lips, backing away from Optimus. Her hands sunk into the rubble, and she yelped as her hands found Frenzy, who leapt out and scurried away into the haze of smoke that was slowly starting to fill the air.

She could see Chromia and Elita now, and Arcee all taking on the pathetic remains of Thunderblast. Shortround lay immobile several yards away, his chest smoking. She saw Ironhide and Ratchet as well. Everyone was taking a good beating, Decepticon and Autobot alike. She didn't see Shockwave, and she could only hope that he was somewhere dead beneath the rubble. She saw Megatron as he noticed Optimus, and with a roar he launched himself at Optimus. Mikaela dove out of the way just as Optimus and Megatron landed in a heap behind her. She turned her head slowly, and saw Barricade lunging after her again. Mikaela desperately tried to scramble away from him, but he was too big, too fast. Caught around her waist again, he grabbed her and dragged her away from the clash between Megatron and Optimus. Mikaela's hands clawed at the concrete rubble, trying to avoid recapture, but she wasn't nearly as strong as Barricade. Whirling in his grasp, she pounded on his hand.

"Why?! Why do you keep doing this?" She screamed at him, demanding an answer. She saw his eyes narrow, glaring into her own.

"It isn't your time…" Those were his only words, and she didn't get to hear what he said next. There were explosions all around them, making it impossible to talk. Safely in Barricade's grip, she held fast to the hand that contained her. She didn't forget that he was a Decepticon, but she couldn't help but feel grateful at all the times he had saved her that night. Setting her down, he had only a few words for her.

"Stay behind me. Starscream wants you dead." He said, giving her a nudge back with his foot. Mikaela gulped in fear, and obeyed. She could hear Barricade muttering under his breath in Cybertronian. She was afraid, but she could see Megatron and Optimus still. It wasn't looking good, Megatron was much bigger than Optimus. She contemplated the consequences of her actions, if she stayed with Barricade or if she ran to Optimus. She didn't know what use she would be to Optimus, but if she could distract Megatron long enough, Optimus would be able to take his shot. Chewing on her lip, she made her decision.

Darting between Barricade's legs and away from Starscream, she headed straight for Megatron and Optimus. Ignoring the bullets that rained down all around her, she ran between Decepticon and Autobots as the battle raged on and on. She could see the Decepticons left were struggling, having lost two comrades. Shockwave was still missing, and she couldn't see Barricade any longer. Rushing between Megatron's legs, she picked up a piece of concrete, hefted it in her hand, then launched it at Megatron.

It hit its mark, and bounced off the side of his head. Stopping in his tracks he turned to Mikaela, surprised.

"Mikaela, no!" She heard Optimus voice, but it was too late now. She took off running, watching behind her as Megatron did exactly what she wanted. He followed her, leaving his back exposed to Optimus. She could hear missiles hitting him, his shouts of anger as he stopped following her and turned to face Optimus. She could hear him shouting angrily, and she skidded to a stop, watching in satisfaction as he planned played out perfectly. Almost. She saw Megatron's guns before she saw his face. Turning to face her, he took his aim, and fired directly at her. She dove to the side and rolled, the shot missing her by inches. Standing, she saw Arcee running towards her, and she heard Starscream before she saw him as well. Mikaela saw Starscream's missile headed directly at her, then there was Arcee, taking the shot in the arm. Mikaela felt sick, she had seen this before, in her dream. Her nightmare. True to the nightmare, Starscream's next shot didn't miss. The bullet tore through Mikaela's abdomen. Looking down, she saw more blood than she had ever seen in her life. It was all hers. She vaguely heard Optimus' shouts. She saw Starscream change back into the F-22 and disappear into the sky. She didn't see any of the others. Sinking to her knees and supporting herself with her hand, she grinned weakly over to Arcee.

"My plan…worked." Mikaela toppled sideways then, hands clutching her stomach.

"Oh…Mikaela…" Arcee moaned, crawling over to her. "You…you are hurt…" She winced as she saw Mikaela move her hand. The hole in Mikaela's stomach was gruesome, Mikaela's insides threatening to spill out onto the ground. "No, hold your hand there. Fuck, where the hell is Ratchet, I don't know how to deal with this!" Arcee started shouting for Ratchet, her wounded cries going unheard.

"It's not…so bad. It doesn't really hurt…" Mikaela said, her teeth chattering.

* * *

Optimus had fired on Megatron while he was chasing Mikaela, his shots hitting Megatron directly in the back. He had seen Megatron fire at her. His rage had taken over, and he had managed to tackle and pin Megatron on the ground, firing his missile directly into Megatron's spark casing. Standing over the body of Megatron, he could see what was happening but do nothing as Starscream's missile hit Mikaela. He wanted to run after Starscream, but he knew it would be futile. Starscream was too fast in jet form, and Optimus was more concerned with Mikaela. Lunging over to her, he fell to his knees as he saw her now laying on the ground, her hands holding her bloody stomach. 

"Mikaela…I'm so sorry..." Optimus reached down, his hand shaking as he touched her cheek. She shakily lifted a hand to touch his finger, then let it fall, leaving a bloody streak. "_Ratchet_!" Upon hearing Optimus' shout, the yellow medic sped over to Optimus, and shoved his way to the front. The others had heard Optimus as well, and crowded around her. Ratchet quickly ran a scan over her body, then looked at Optimus helplessly, his next words cutting through everyone like a sharp knife.

"There's nothing I can do, Optimus. This is fatal."


	16. Chapter 16

This was the hardest chapter to write, especially at the beginning. For full effects, listen to Evanescence's Hello while reading. Enjoy! It's short, but sweet, right?!

If I smile and don't believe,  
Soon I know I'll wake from this dream,  
Don't try to fix me, I'm not broken,  
Hello, I'm the lie, living for you so you can hide,  
Don´t cry...

* * *

Mikaela couldn't really hear anything that was going on. Her only focus was on Optimus. Her vision was dimming slowly, and she struggled to sit, to reach out, to touch him. She was so weak, so terribly weak. She wanted to scream in anguish, not for her wounds but for the words she couldn't say. Tears ran down her cheeks as her heart broke into a million pieces. She was dying; she'd never see her father again. Sam. Bumblebee. None of her friends. She inhaled deeply, shakily, taking in the scent of everything around her. The metallic scent of her own blood filled the air, but among it, she could inhale the scents of fresh grass, of rusty metal. She realized how terribly afraid she was, and summoning her last ounce of energy, she grasped Optimus' finger again. 

"Don't…don't leave me…please…" She gasped, staring up into his face. "So…scared." She barely saw Optimus' face now, everything was fading so fast from her sight. She wasn't in pain, at least not yet. _So, this is what dying feels like_…she thought briefly, her body twitching uncontrollably. She was cold, her teeth were chattering and she could feel the cool night air on her arms.

"Do something, Ratchet!" Optimus snarled, grabbing the medic with his free hand and giving him a shake. Ratchet just stared at him, eyes forlorn.

"I'm sorry, Optimus…I…I can't." Ratchet said, his own voice catching in his throat.

Everyone was silent, Sam's muffled sobs the only audible noise. Optimus could only stare down at Mikaela's prone form, which was slowly growing deathly pale. He could see that Sam was draped across Bumblebee's large still frame that Ironhide had managed to drag over to Mikaela, to where she could see him before she… Optimus couldn't finish the thought. Ironhide's cannons were away, his bright blue optics dim as he watched the scene before him. Human life was so…fragile.

"No." Arcee's voice tore through the quiet. "No, we can save her. But Ratchet you have to be quick." Arcee pulled herself to an upright form. "You can use me. I know you can. Use my spark..." Arcee winced, her arm had been nearly blown off by Starscream's missile, and it was hanging on by a few wires. Ratchet shook his head slowly.

"We don't know how that would work with a human Arcee, it may have worked with others like us but I don't know about humans..." Ratchet said. "It could kill you both." Arcee shook her head.

"If she dies, then I have no purpose anyway." Arcee said mournfully, looking at the slowly dying figure of Mikaela on the ground. The girl gave a gasp, her eyes widening in pain. It was starting to hurt. Her face was growing ashen. Mikaela shut her eyes tightly. Dying really did hurt.

"Wh-what about the shard?" Sam spoke, trembling. He was now kneeling next to Mikaela and looking up at Optimus, begging him with his eyes. "Can that save a human life?" Optimus shook his head slowly.

"I don't know, Sam."

"It might. All we can really do is try. She's gone if it doesn't. Get the shard from her, Sam." Ratchet said briskly. Sam nodded, his fingers digging into Mikaela's pocket and pulling the shard out. It was warm in his hand, and covered in blood. He saw Arcee shaking her head out of the corner of his eye.

"You need to bond her to someone, Ratchet. I don't think that just the spark will save her body...Her mind is still alive but her body is dying. Her insides are shutting down, even as we are speaking. You've got to use one of us." Arcee said, wincing. "I should do it. She's my human."

"No." Optimus said slowly. "I will do it." Ratchet turned and raised a brow.

"Optimus, this could kill you both, I've never done anything like this before, especially never with a human." Ratchet said, choosing his words carefully. The response from Optimus was a low growl.

"Do it." It was a direct order Ratchet knew, and he couldn't disobey. He didn't dare. Ratchet stared at Optimus for a moment, then nodded.

Mikaela let out one last, final shriek, and then lay still. Sam stared at her in horror. Feeling desperately for a pulse, he found a light, but too slow beat.

"She's still alive, but…I…" Sam paused, swallowing, "I think she lost consciousness. Ratchet, she's fading fast you don't have long…" Ratchet nodded, then took the shard from Sam, and pressed the point to her chest, making a neat slice through her clothes, and through her skin.

Sam looked away. He couldn't watch what was happening. He couldn't watch her die. He swallowed hard, trying not to watch Ratchet work on her. Sam saw Optimus' movement in the corner of his eye. Enthralled, Sam saw sparks flying from Optimus' chest, and Sam had to watch in awe as Ratchet funneled them into Mikaela's body. He could hear agonized groans from Optimus as Ratchet took pieces of his spark away, winding the blue sparkling tendrils into the shard, and into Mikaela's own heart. He couldn't watch any longer as Mikaela let out an ear piercing scream. He buried his head in his hands again.

If Ratchet could sweat, he would have been. He wasn't completely sure as to what he was doing, since this had never been done on a human before. He had repaired other robots this way, mostly from dead comrades though, and never on two alive beings. With a steady and experienced hand, he worked slowly, slowly funneling the energy from the shard into Mikaela's body, coupling it with the pieces of Optimus' spark he was using.

Arcee watched in painful silence, her good arm reaching out, a finger gently stroking Mikaela's hair. Arcee's insides were twisting in fear for Mikaela. Glancing around at the others, she could see the same fear etched on their faces, even Elita. Arcee jumped as she heard an explosion behind her. Twisting her head, she moaned in apprehension. It was Shockwave. She looked feebly at the others, Elita, Chromia and Ironhide catching the look and taking off to meet the threat before it interrupted Ratchet's tedious work.

Elita and Chromia met the threat head on, meeting Shockwave head on, clashing together, sparks and metal flying as blows rained down. None had the time to pull weapons, and Ironhide feared to fire on the Decepticon, fearing he would hit one of the females. He looked on helplessly as the three fought on the ground. He didn't stand idle for long, as he saw another figure in the dust behind the fighting trio. It was Barricade. Ironhide grinned coldly to himself, and with a twitch of both wrists, the cannons came out. Taking aim at Barricade's chest, he hesitated. The Decepticon didn't look like a threat. Barricade looked…_worried_.

"Where is the human?" Barricade growled, seeing Ironhide for the first time.

"Barely alive, no thanks to you, _Decepticon_." Ironhide hissed, aiming his cannons at Barricade, who simply stood there. Ironhide felt uncertain, something was strange about the situation.

"Actually, the fact that she is still alive is thanks to me. And don't make the mistake of thinking that I am helping _you_." Barricade said to Ironhide, glaring at him then turning his back and running off. Ironhide watched in disbelief as Barricade jumped, then landed with a heavy thud in the midst of the battle between Chromia, Elita and Arcee. Barricade's machine guns fired heavy rounds into Shockwave's chest, who seemed to stare at Barricade in surprise. Barricade's last missile landed directly in Shockwave's spark casing, causing an explosion of red fire to spray back on them. When Chromia and Elita uncovered their faces, Barricade was gone, and Shockwave lay smoldering at their feet, his robotic eye slowly fizzling out. Turning to Ironhide, both female's eyes were wide with confusion. All Ironhide could do was shrug, then turn and run back to where Ratchet was working.


	17. Chapter 17

Optimus was in pain. Ratchet was literally taking a piece of his entire being and giving it to Mikaela. He himself felt like he was dying. He could barely see what Ratchet was doing, and almost didn't want to know. He could hear Ratchet mumbling to himself, although to Optimus is was just incoherent ramblings. He closed his eyes, blocking out the pain, and focusing on the fact that he was saving Mikaela's life. Maybe. If they weren't already too late. He sighed, and slipped into a comatose robotic state, his last thoughts being of Mikaela.

Sam sat still as a statue, one hand on Bumblebee's still body, and one on Mikaela's. He didn't know what to think of what he was seeing. All he knew was that he needed Mikaela and Bee to be ok. He felt a light pressure from Bee, a reassurance that things would be ok. It made Sam feel a little better. Crawling a bit closer to Bee, but still holding Mikaela's hand, Sam leaned against Bee.

Ratchet had never seen anything like it. The girl was healing, and miraculously fast. But the shard was somehow embedding itself into her body. This concerned him, because no matter what he was doing, he couldn't get it out. Every time he tried, her vital signs dropped. The shard was keeping her alive. Her organs were now dependent on the shard, and he could see the tendrils of electricity curling gently around her heart, keeping it beating, yet at the same time, intertwining with it, creating the most unique thing he had ever seen. It was like some kind of bionic heart, half human, half robotic. Her whole body seemed to be adapting speedily to the shard, and to Optimus' spark that was giving the shard the energy it needed. He was so engrossed with the scene he didn't see the shadowy figure behind him until it was too late.

"She is alive?" Ratchet heard Barricade before he saw him. Ratchet tensed, and leaned in towards Mikaela, protecting her.

"Get out of here, Decepticon." Ratchet said, his voice low. "Haven't you all done enough damage for the night." Barricade regarded him with cool indifference.

"I have no care what happens to you nor your autobot friends." Barricade peered down at Mikaela, a flicker of…_worry_…crossing his face. Ratchet stared at him, incredulous.

"Wh-?" Ratchet started to ask him a question, but Barricade silenced him with a growl.

"You Autobot's think that you are so smart. You think that you are the only ones capable of care, of compassion. You look at the Decepticons thinking that we are evil, corrupt. While we may not have had friends in our ranks-" Barricade pointed to the body of Shockwave, a prime example of Decepticon 'friendship' "amongst us we did." He looked down at Mikaela's prone body.

"She is a courageous fighter. She defied Decepticons to their faces, while we threatened to kill her. That, to me, says something about her honor." Barricade said, his voice dangerously soft. "While we may be enemies tomorrow, I chose to fight for _her_, and only her, today." Barricade stared at Ratchet for a moment, who was speechless. Then he was gone. Ratchet stared after him in stunned silence. He saw Chromia, Elita and Ironhide approaching, staring at him with the same stunned looks upon their faces as he wore upon his own. Shaking his head in disbelief, he continued his work. Now was not the time for questions.

* * *

He worked nearly until dawn. The other Autobot's and Sam had gone into a resting state. Sam was actually 'sleeping' as humans called it, but the Autobot's were in more of a stasis. Ratchet was exhausted. He needed to rest as well, but he was so close to being done. Optimus was resting next to Mikaela; his role had been finished long ago. The most complicated was Mikaela. With all the human's inner workings, her system was just as complex as one of the Autobots. Leaning back with a grunt, he was finished. Looking at Mikaela, her outer body looked exactly the same. She looked peaceful now, her eyes closed gently, hands clasped over her chest. The color had returned to her cheeks and lips, and her chest was rising and falling in the deep patterns of human sleep. Ratchet was satisfied. He had never completed anything so complex before, but he had done it with no medical bay, next to no tools, and without any rest. He looked down at the small human sleeping. She needed rest. 

"Optimus." Ratchet gently shook the older leader. Optimus' eyes flickered open, and he slowly stood up, looking around the clearing. Evidence of the night before was everywhere. Dead Decepticons lay out in the open, the warehouse had been totally leveled. His eyes traveled down to Mikaela's still form. Looking at Ratchet, he raised a questioning brow.

"I…think she will be all right, Optimus. Bu-" Optimus cut Ratchet off.

"No buts. She will live?" He inquired of the medic. Ratchet nodded. Optimus seemed to visibly relax in relief.

"She needs rest, Optimus. And…I'll need to be there when she wakes. I have some explaining to do." Optimus glared sternly at Ratchet, who revealed nothing, only stared impassively at the sleeping Mikaela.

"Let's get her somewhere comfortable then. You need to work on finishing Bumblebee." Optimus smiled down at Mikaela. "She risked her life to save his." Ratchet nodded, striding over to Bumblebee, who had been waiting patiently all night for his turn.

"Let's get you somewhere comfortable, Mikaela." Optimus murmured softly. Shifting down into a semi, he waited patiently as Chromia silently placed Mikaela inside of the truck.

"Everyone, get some rest. We will meet up again tonight." Optimus said as he pulled away.

* * *

Mikaela's dreams were few. Sometimes she saw flashes of blue light, sometimes it was white light. All she knew is that she felt safe, safer than she had ever been. She slept through most of the day, tossing and turning inside of Optimus' truck bed. Many hours later, her eyes fluttered open. She saw that she was inside of Optimus. She was still alive. Her hands flew to her stomach, her fingers gingerly feeling beneath her torn up shirt to feel the smooth, unflawed skin that stretched across her belly. There was no wound, no scars. How was that even possible? 

"Optimus…?" Mikaela questioned shakily, her voice raspy from the previous night.

"Yes?" His answer was immediate, indicating he had been there, coherent and waiting, all day for her.

"I…" She didn't know what to say. "I'm alive." It was exhilarating. She had never felt more present in the world around her, more thankful to be alive. Stepping out of the truck, she bent down, running her fingers through the green grass and savoring every touch and scent. She could hear Optimus shifting behind her, and the sound was music to her ears. She had never heard anything more glorious than the sound at that moment.

"Yes." He stated, watching her in dark amusement, and relief. She seemed to be moving and talking like before. She turned to look at him, her eyes bright with happiness and yet brimming with unshed tears.

"I've never been so happy to be alive." She stated, running her hands across his foot. "And to feel. Feeling everything right now is a gift I have been given." She stared up at him, everything within her welling up. She relished the feelings, the emotions. Simply to feel emotion was a miracle.

"You are very lucky, Mikaela." Optimus said softly. He would let Ratchet explain everything, but for now, he could at least enjoy her presence. Mikaela nodded her head as she leaned up against Optimus.

"I'm sorry, Optimus. I'm sorry for stomping off. For causing all of this. For causing everything." She said, staring at her hands. Optimus shook his head.

"Barricade would have come after you regardless. It is not your fault." Optimus said softly, watching her.

"It is, it really is though, and I want to tell you I'm sorry for everything I said. I don't think you betrayed me, I was just…upset, and-"

"Shh." Optimus said, pressing a large finger to her lips. "You have done nothing." He saw her start to protest, and he shook his head. "If you insist, then for whatever you seem to think you have done, you are forgiven." Mikaela looked partially satisfied, although her face still held a sad and haunted look.

"And, I wanted to tell you. Something I should have told you a long time ago." Optimus said, suddenly feeling nervous. He had pushed her away so many times, how could he be certain she wouldn't do the same? The thought left his mind as soon as it entered once he saw her hopeful face. He couldn't speak for a moment, and simply watched her as she crawled up to him, resting peacefully on his chest, waiting for whatever he had to say.

"That night, so many weeks ago." Optimus started slowly, unsure of how to word it. "I…I shouldn't have pushed you away. I am sorry for that. I was afraid." Optimus hated to admit that he was afraid, but he had been. And he still was, as a matter of fact. But it had to be said. It no longer mattered.

"The petty arguments I gave you were wrong. I should have listened to my instincts instead of my mind. I should have listened to you. You were willing to accept whatever people thought, whatever may come, whatever consequences that there would be, and I wasn't. I was acting selfishly, Mikaela Banes, and I regret that. You have no idea how much I regret that. I almost lost you last night, and I don't think I could have lived with myself if…" He couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence. "I was wrong." He looked down at her, wondering what she was thinking. She simply gave him a smile of encouragement, waiting for him to finish.

"I thought that by rejecting you, I was saving you. But in reality, I was just hurting you worse." Optimus smiled sadly at her. "As Arcee said, I am a fool." Mikaela shook her head softly, her hair gently flicking against his chest armor, delightfully tickling him.

"You are not a fool, Optimus Prime. Stubborn, but never a fool." Optimus only continued to smile sadly at her.

"Oh, but I am." Staring into her eyes, eyes that last night he thought he would never see again. "Can you ever forgive an old fool?"

"Of course, Optimus, but-" He shook his head at her, pressing his finger to her lips again. He wasn't done.

"And…and do you think that you could still possibly love that old fool, after everything he has put you through? Because he loves you, more than words could ever possibly say." Mikaela's eyes were swimming with tears. She didn't think she could speak, her heart was in her throat. All she could do was nod at Optimus, her hands gripping the edges of his armor, tears splashing down onto his chest as his hand came up to rest lightly upon her back.


	18. Chapter 18

smutsmutsmutsmutsmut. Deal with it:)

* * *

Ratchet was pacing in his makeshift medical bay he had set up. He needed to talk to Mikaela, he had told Optimus he wanted to be there when she woke up, but Optimus hadn't listened. He was too busy with caring for the human that he didn't listen at all anymore.

"Silly emotions." Ratchet growled to himself. Giving one of his tools a kick, he placated himself by thinking about how well he had repaired Bumblebee and Arcee. It had taken quite a while but he was able to get them both back up and running, better than they were before. He had given Arcee some new guns to play with, and he had hot loaded Bumblebee's weapons to now include ice rounds. They were a pretty neat invention by one of his buddies back in the days…Ratchet gave a sigh. Where were those two? He had a lot to tell Mikaela and he was damn sure that she wasn't going to like all of it. She may like some of it, but not all. He had sent multiple messages to Optimus several hours ago, but they had gone unanswered. Continuing to send the messages, Ratchet resumed his pacing. He had a sneaking suspicion as to why he could not get into contact with Optimus, and it frustrated him that his leader found more importance in the girl than he did with what Ratchet had to say. It couldn't be helped. Ratchet understood, although he probably wouldn't ever admit that. Ratchet heaved a mighty sigh, he supposed he would just have wait until they all met that night to speak with Mikaela.

Ratchets suspicions were correct. Mikaela and Optimus were together, and paying absolutely no attention to Ratchet's messages, or the time. They were simply happy to be in each other's company, their thoughts far from the Decepticon attack and Ratchet. Mikaela was curled up, resting gently on his chest. She was currently tracing the red flames with her pointer finger in silence. She could tell that her touch was appreciated by the slight shifts and occasional murmurs that came from Optimus. She smiled and sighed happily, resting her cheek on the warm metal that comprised of his armor. She didn't know where they were, and she didn't care.

"You are very brave, Mikaela." Optimus finally said.

"Brave?" She questioned, looking up into her face.

"Not many would have refused a Decepticon." Optimus said, watching her.

"I could never willingly do that to you. I am still ashamed that I did it while under Shockwave's control." She dropped her head, the guilt weighing on her soul. Optimus shook his head.

"I would never hold you responsible for that." Optimus gently ran a large finger down her back. It comforted Mikaela to know that he felt that way.

"I appreciate that, I really do. I still can't help but feel as though I could have done something. Anything, really." She shivered. "It was so terrifying, having him pick through my most intimate memories and emotions like that." She felt a slight increase in pressure from her finger on her back, as though he were trying to give her an Autobot hug.

"I am sorry you had to go through that." He said quietly. "I am quite thankful, however, that the Allspark shard was farthest from your mind at that point." He chuckled ruefully. "Although I do see that if I give you another gift it shall have to be more…memorable."

"I'm sorry about that…" She said, her cheeks burning. He shook his head.

"I am only joking with you. I'm very glad that you had forgotten about it. If you had not…" He left it open, but she understood. The Decepticons would have it, and she would undoubtedly be dead.

"I'm still sorry about…repairing…him." She said, tearing her eyes away from his. She felt the pressure on her back again.

"You are not responsible. I told you that." He said, wanting to shake her. She laughed softly, then smiled slyly up at him, slim fingers teasing in between his chest armor. She knew what he would like, just from their brief encounter last time. Except this time, he was accepting instead of careful and afraid. It was strange, she seemed to know every touch and caress that would send him wild. Rumbles of appreciation told her that what she was doing pleased him, and he didn't want her to stop. Mikaela relished in the fact that she was making the heroic leader of a race of advanced robots whimper and purr like a cat under her touch.

Optimus' senses were blurred and scrambled. Her touches were sending electric shocks throughout his body, his mind unable to comprehend how Mikaela knew every sensitive wire, every delicate and fine filament throughout his casing.

"H-how-" Optimus tried to say something, but his senses went absolutely wild as she slid her body up against his frame and peered into his eyes.

"Hmm?" She asked, hands sliding from inside of his armor, trailing up his chest and coming to a rest under her chin. He started down at her, trying to refocus his eyes.

"How are you…so…_good_ at that?" Optimus was practically gasping, his circuitry feeling as though it were fried. He saw Mikaela flush, then lift a shoulder in a shrug.

"I don't know. I just kind of…move?" She said, a question lingering in her voice, not really knowing. It did feel like she knew him better than she knew herself. Every time she touched him, every caress, she could feel it herself. She knew where and how because it pleased her as well. She was also especially delighted to know that she was doing a good enough job to make him squirm for more.

"Well, would you mind…maybe…moving again?" He asked hopefully. He couldn't believe himself, and neither could she. The noble leader was actually…_begging_.

"Oh, you want me to move?" Mikaela asked with a grin, and started to slide down his front towards the ground. "Sorry if I was in your way." She gave a yelp of surprise as Optimus growled and snatched her up, replacing her to the spot on his chest. Laughing, she gave his windowpane a light kiss.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I must have misinterpreted you…" She whispered softly, sliding her small hands back in between the armor. She peered at his spark inside of his chest, wondering at the complexity of it. It fascinated her, the complexity of his race. The sheer size alone was mind numbing, but the internal workings were more complex than anything she had ever seen. Yet it was all so…familiar. She was easily able to slide her whole body into a resting place right under his armor, leaving her room to work her magic, and yet have enough room to be comfortable. By Optimus' surprised mumble, she assumed he hadn't even known that little spot was there.

"Interesting…" That was all he said as she curled up inside of him. He had never had anyone…inside of him like that. It felt so private, so complete. It felt like they were one being. He was quickly distracted from any previous thoughts he may have had by her hands sliding closer and closer to the spark.

She could feel the electric currents running along her body, tingling and lightly caressing her skin. Her body soaked up the energy, sending shudders throughout her body. The sensations were wracking her body, little whimpers escaping from her lips. She could tell it was affecting him the same way. She finally threw herself into it, throwing her whole body and soul into it, the sensations causing her body to twist and turn in absolute delight. She could hear similar sounds from Optimus, and that was when she decided to throw everything into it, and touch the spark directly. Quite frankly, Optimus' roar was rather deafening. Somehow, she knew that it wouldn't hurt her to touch it directly. Not this time. Perhaps last time, but…she could feel that it was safe. It wouldn't hurt her or kill her, but it would definitely get Optimus' motor roaring. Literally.

The whole oddity of it all was enough to get her heart pumping, but also the fact that that same pumping heart was only for Optimus…well that seemed to make a big difference. Any guy she had dated had been nothing compared to this…this feeling of being alive and free. That and it was so intense she felt like her whole body was about to explode. And from the noises she heard, he felt the same way.

From what she could tell, their release occurred at about the same time, cries and roars being swallowed by the emptiness around them. It came in waves, each one more tantalizing and refreshing than the last.

When all was said and done, each party was literally panting. Mikaela crawled shakily out of the armor and onto his chest, staring him directly in his eyes.

"What…what was that?" She asked, her voice unsteady. Optimus gave a low rumble.

"I think it is what you humans call…" He stopped, searching his memory banks for the word. Mikaela blushed, interrupting him before he could browse the Internet.

"I get it." She sat on his chest now, looking at him with amusement in her eyes. "That was…fun." She said with a laugh. "We should do that again some time." Optimus stared at her for a moment, then burst into laughter.

"We should." He agreed with her one hundred percent, but as he stared at her, his face became more serious. She stared in concern at the serious look on his face.

"You aren't going to start in on that 'we can't do this' speech, are you? Because if you are, I swear to God, Optimus Prime I will kill you myself!" She said, shaking a small fist threateningly. He chuckled and shook his head.

"No, I merely realized that it is quite late and we were supposed to meet the others." Mikaela's eyes widened and she looked at her watch.

"Oh, _shit,_ Optimus, it's after ten!"


	19. Chapter 19

I took this chapter down for revision, and now its back. If it wont let you review -again-, you can always hit up my LJ and comment: Enjoy! -Credits for a lot of this idea go to miss Morgan O'Conner. Happy reading!-

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Optimus and Mikaela sped back to the clearing, well aware of how late they were. Optimus skidded to a stop once they arrived, nearly sending Mikaela tumbling as he transformed and stood up. Mikaela, cheeks red, kept her eyes down as they walked up to the group. The others were watching them, conversation halting as they stared at the couple in silence. Mikaela refused to look at the others, feeling very embarrassed at the fact that they were nearly two hours late for their meeting.

"Sorry. I just...woke up." Mikaela said feebly, glancing up at the others. Ratchet stood watching her with his arms folded, she could tell he wasn't amused.

"Yes, well, you needed your...rest, right?" Arcee said, giving Mikaela a knowing look. Mikaela gave her a nod, her eyes meeting Arcee's. She would explain things to Arcee later. Arcee's eyes glittered with amusement as she watched Mikaela.

"Right. I...went through a lot...you know?" Mikaela said, running her hands through her hair.

"I am glad to see you are better, Mikaela. I hope you are well rested?" Elita said, coming up to Mikaela and kneeling in front of her, placing a hand on her shoulder. Elita was trying to be sincere and friendly, but the slight jealousy was still there even though she had told Optimus she had another.

"Yes...I am." Mikaela said, looking curiously at Elita, who stood and moved back to the group. Ironhide stood next to the always quiet but efficient Chromia, giving Mikaela a small and rare smile. He was relieved to see her up and walking as well. Mikaela saw Sam and Bumblebee sitting together, Bumblebee leaning against a tree looking very tired but alive. Mikaela gave them a huge grin, and took off into a run towards them. She stumbled over a root, however, and when she caught herself on the neighboring tree, a surge of electrical blue sparks flew from her hand to tree, sizzling the old wood. She froze, staring in wonder at the burn mark in the tree, then slowly turned around as she heard a polite cough from Ironhide, who was now looking at Optimus with a highly amused expression on his face.

If robot's could flush, Optimus would be redder than a tomato. He eyes met with Ironhide's, then Chromia, who had the grace to cover her smile with a hand. Mikaela was still standing on the ground staring at the tree is surprise.

"What happened?" She asked, staring at her hand in amazement. Ratchet scowled at her.

"Discharge of pent up energy." He said, with a smirk towards Optimus, who looked annoyed. Mikaela looked confused.

"What does that mean?" She asked, confused. Elita gave a grunt and stalked away, coming to a stop next to Chromia and seating herself. Arcee's eyes flickered between Elita and Ratchet, then Mikaela, concern etched onto her face. Walking over to her human and kneeling down, she whispered a few words into Mikaela's ear about the act of mating and then the discharge of electrical energy later. Mikaela clapped a hand over her mouth in horror. She had just shown every Autobot on earth what she and Optimus had really been doing. Arcee gave her a pat on the back.

"It's ok." She whispered. "Everyone knew it was coming anyway. It was just a matter of time before Optimus realized what he was doing by pushing you away. The bond was trying to work its magic, and he wouldn't let it."

"Well, Ratchet? What was it you needed to speak with Mikaela about?" Optimus said loudly, his voice breaking the increasing tension.

"It would be best if I spoke with her in private, Optimus." Ratchet said sternly looking at Mikaela, who meekly walked over to him and jumped on the hand that he offered her. Optimus gave a slow nod, hating to be parted with her so soon after his admission, but he was quickly mollified by Bumblebee's eagerness to speak with him. Optimus, distracted by Bumblebee didn't notice Ratchet walk off with Mikaela to a secluded area where he could speak privately with her.

"Mikaela, this is serious. I wanted to speak with you as soon as possible after you awoke to explain things to you." Ratchet began, watching the young girl fidget under his scrutiny.

"I'm really sorry Ratchet, I am, I promise-" Ratchet waved a hand, cutting her off.

"Don't worry about it. Annoyed though I am, I understand." He said, letting his facial features relax. Mikaela visibly relaxed as well, and he sat next to her, encouraging her to sit.

"Mikaela, you were very close to death as I am sure you are well aware." Mikaela gave a nod as he spoke. "Well, in order for me to help you and prevent you from dying, I must admit I had to use some rather...'unique' techniques." He said, not really looking at her.

"Unique?" She asked with a raised brow, concerned that he wasn't looking at her.

"Yes." His answer was short, and she was even more disconcerted when his head swiveled to look at her, eyes flickering over her body, running scans. "You seem to be functioning efficiently." Mikaela, suddenly self conscious, folded her arms over her chest and looked up at Ratchet. He seemed to give a sigh, then looked out into the clearing. He could faintly see the other Autobots mingling with each other, discussing what had happened. He could see Optimus looking their way occasionally, but leaving them in peace.

"Well, Mikaela, I had to use the Allspark shard to help you." Mikaela vaguely recalled something about that, and, patting her pocket, she was unsurprised to find it empty. "Your body shut down." He said, taking a deep breath. "In a way, Mikaela, you did die."

"What?" She asked, her heart pounding.

"Your body basically died. When Starscream's missile hit you, it tore through every vital organ in your abdominal area. There was absolutely no saving you, at least not by human standards. All of your vital organs, including your heart and lungs, and even your brain began to shut down. We thought there was no hope, until Sam had the idea to use the shard on you. It was our only hope, so we did it. I needed to bond you to someone…take a piece of someone's spark to create enough energy in the shard to create new life within you. At first, I had thought simply to use it, to heal you since your body was so accepting of the shard and its power, which I will admit puzzled me. Your body had started to heal on it's own when your organs began shutting down. But once I tried to remove the shard, your body began to shut down again." Ratchet's eyes closed.

"The Allspark Shard basically bonded itself to your heart, spread throughout your body, clinging to organs and repairing them with its energy. That is why I could not remove it. It had _become_ your life. I couldn't remove it without killing you. I tried. I really did. You can Ask Optimus, although he was in a lot of pain at the moment too, from when I took part of his spark to give the shard more energy. I've never seen anything like it, not in all the millennia that I have been in existence. Your entire physical body is now a compilation of human organs and robotic workings." Ratchet paused, catching Mikaela's changing facial expressions.

"Whoa…whoa slow down, Ratchet. This is a lot to handle. My body is WHAT?" Mikaela felt like strangling the yellow robot. Why was he telling her like this? He seemed so…unemotional.

"I'm sorry, Mikaela. I'm just explaining this the only way I know how." He said with a sigh.

"Well, you aren't doing a very good job." Mikaela nearly shouted, causing birds to leave their nest in the trees. "I'm part fucking _robot_?"

"Yes." Ratchet stated.

"And…Optimus. Does he know?" She asked shakily. Optimus had gone through a lot of pain. And for her. For some reason this made her feel happy, and at the same time horrible.

"Not yet." Ratchet heaved a sigh, and his eyes closed and she could hear his internal processes clicking and shifting as he rearranged himself.

"I now understand why the shard and your body were so accepting of each other. You had already begun the bonding process with Optimus, then with Arcee. It's just never been done before with a human…so I don't know what else really to tell you, except what I already have, I used pieces of Optimus' spark to give the shard its current energy." He glanced down at her. "He is the reason you are alive right now. You two are now connected more closely than I've ever seen. A special bond was already at work between you two, but now..." His voice trailed off and he glanced back at the Autobot's in the distance. "Be very careful with this bond, Mikaela."

"Wait...slow down…so...I really am turning into an Autobot?" Mikaela squeaked, looking at her hands and staring at them with newfound terror and fascination.

"No, not quite." Ratchet looked at her thoughtfully. "You are still human, in a sense, since you still have a human appearance and organs. But, these organs have been reinforced by the shard and its energy, therefore the life span of your organs…and your body, will be...considerably longer. I would advise against going to any human medical doctor as well." He clasped his hands together. "You are not human, nor robotic. You are a bionic woman, Mikaela. That is the best term I can come up with."

"Bionic...woman?" Mikaela said faintly. Ratchet gave a nod.

"Yes. Bionic means your organs are basically electronically powered, in this case, you are powered by the Allspark shard containing Optimus' energy. You still have the appearance of a human, and I do not believe that will change." Ratchet stopped speaking, and began running scans on her body again.

"I know what Bionic means, Ratchet. Can you please further explain what the fuck is happening to me?" Mikaela said, her voice gravelly.

"You have all the characteristics of the actual Allspark itself, Mikaela. I do not know how to view this." He began ticking off points on his fingers. "Sentience. Functionality. More power than I've ever encountered in one organism." Ratchet didn't like the way this talk was going. It almost sounded as though…Mikaela _was_ the Allspark.

"I'm afraid I do not know all the details." He cleared his throat, sounding apologetic. "Your entire body structure is reforming, reshaping itself to suit the shard. Instead of blood, there is energy. Instead of bone, there is metal, exactly like the kind we are made from."

"Oh…God…" Mikaela said, her whole body beginning to shake… "What…what did you mean by a considerably longer lifespan of my body? Is my body going to live a long time, but my mind die?" It was all so much to take in; she couldn't stop her hands from shaking. She noticed Ratchet looking uncomfortable, but then shook his head.

"Well, from what I can tell, your bone and body structure is becoming very Cybertronian. Without warfare and destruction, we can live thousands of years. And as for your mind, remember what I have already told you. The spark has spread _everywhere_."

"How long will I live, Ratchet?" Mikaela asked firmly, desperately trying to keep her voice steady.

"Honestly, I've never seen an Autobot die of old age, Mikaela. And my guess is that your lifespan will be at least half of what ours normally is…but with Optimus' spark powering you…it may be as long as ours."

"Half of…or all of eternity?" Mikaela asked faintly. "I can't…I can't even comprehend…I'm only eighteen…and I'll live to be…" She gave a shudder as she stopped talking, wrapping her hands around her head and covering her eyes.

"Wh-what about transforming?" She asked, trying to keep her mind off the fact that she would outlive everyone she loved and cared about…and everyone she would care about in the future.

"I would advise against it." Ratchet stated, leaving no room for questions.

"Ok…I don't think I could handle that anyway…not mentally. And what about…what about my bond with Optimus? How does that work?" She asked quietly.

"It is the most sacred thing you will ever possess, Mikaela. The bond that now exists between you and our leader is unlike any bond I've ever seen. You will be able to feel the same things, sometimes see through each other's eyes…I honestly do not know the extent of the bond. You two are linked so closely…" Ratchets voice trailed off, following Mikaela's gaze to where Optimus stood talking with Bumblebee. "You will be part of each other until the day you both die. Please, please, please be careful with this bond. Never, ever let a Decepticon know about it." Ratchet said, his tone deadly serious. Mikaela looked back at Ratchet, then gave a rueful yet sad laugh.

"Good thing I like Optimus then, huh?" Ratchet gave a short laugh, then spoke again.

"I should say so. And it is an even better thing than the rest of us like you as well…because face it, your in it for the long haul with us."


	20. Chapter 20

Mikaela and Ratchet sat in silence for a while after their initial discussion. Mikaela was grinding her teeth, a habit she had had since childhood.

"I need to talk to Optimus. And Arcee." Mikaela said softly, reaching out and gripping Ratchet's large finger. Ratchet lifted a brow and nodded. "But…I just need a moment alone. Just a second."

"I will keep this confidential, for now. But I would not hide this for long, especially from Optimus. Above all, he is also your friend, Mikaela. He was your friend first, before you were ever bonded. He deserves to know." Ratchet stated, watching her. Mikaela gave a stiff nod.

"I just need to…work shit out for a second, ok?" Mikaela said, staring at her hands.

"Alright, Mikaela." Ratchet set her down. "I will leave you to your thoughts." Mikaela nodded, swallowing hard. She watched Ratchet walk away, then buried her head in her hands. She couldn't cry. Not anymore. She had shed enough tears in the past few weeks to last her a lifetime. She was tired of feeling weak. She grasped at her hair, working fingers through it to try to untangle knots. It hurt. She relished the pain, dragging her fingers through her hair and ripping the knots out, her eyes watering at the sting. She like the pain she was feeling, it made her still feel human. She lifted her head and stared down at them, hating them suddenly, because they weren't her own. No blood flowed through them, no more life sustaining blood cells…just energy. She clenched her fists, her nails digging into her skin.

"I don't want to live forever." Mikaela said out loud. She didn't want to watch her father die, her family, her friends, Sam. Twisting her head, she could barely see Sam in the distance with Bumblebee. Spreading her hands out in front of her, she stared at the little half moons her nails had made on her palms. It hurt, but not as much as knowing she would have to watch everyone she loved die. Clenching her fists, she gave a scream of rage. She fell back against a tree, then rolled over and started beating it incessantly with her palms. Working her rage out on the tree, she didn't notice the scrapes and bruises she was creating on her hands and arms.

Arcee had watched her walk off with Ratchet, and she had seen Ratchet come back alone.

"Where is she?" She had asked him, but all he did was shake his head and point. She had followed the finger, and saw Mikaela way out in the distance trying unsuccessfully to beat up a tree. Optimus had come up beside Arcee, and they both watched her in the distance.

"What did he tell her?" Optimus asked quietly, turning to Arcee.

"I don't know." She said quietly. "Whatever it was, it doesn't seem good. I'll go check it out." Arcee said, her voice worried. She took off in Mikaela's direction, leaving Optimus behind, who felt utterly helpless.

"Mikaela?" Arcee said, coming up on the hysterical girl. Mikaela jumped, then whirled around to face Arcee. "Mikaela, are you all right?" Mikaela swallowed. She couldn't do this on her own. She needed her friends. And these Autobots were going to be her friends for a very, very long time. Slowly, she looked up at Arcee.

"Can you please…get Optimus? He needs to hear this too…" Mikaela said, leaning heavily against the tree. Arcee gave a nod, looking at her little human in concern, then took off back towards Optimus, who was being talked to by Elita. He didn't seem to be listening, which Arcee could tell annoyed Elita. Brushing off Elita's questions, Arcee grabbed Optimus, tugging his arm and pointing towards Mikaela.

"Come on. She has something to tell us." Optimus followed Arcee back to Mikaela, who was now sitting on the ground, the tears gone and in place a look of sad resignation on her face. Arcee took a seat next to her, and Optimus sat on the ground in front of Mikaela. Mikaela looked at both of them steadily.

"I trust you and love you both. And I'm really, really going to need you in the upcoming…times ahead." Mikaela didn't know what to say. Days? Months? Years? Millennia? Arcee and Optimus exchanged a look, then both looked at Mikaela, concern etched onto their robotic faced.

"You know we will be here for you, Mikaela, no matter what." Arcee said softly, reaching out and tapping Mikaela's hand reassuringly with a finger. Optimus nodded his agreement with Arcee.

"You will never be alone." He said, holding out a hand for her. She crawled up on it, and Arcee and Optimus scooted closer together so the tiny human could look at both of them.

"I just talked to Ratchet, and he explained everything that happened when…I got hit." Mikaela didn't want to say when she died…but…wasn't that really what had happened? Slowly, haltingly, and with as much reservation as possible, Mikaela related to Arcee and Optimus everything that Ratchet had told her. When she was finished, they were both looking at her with looks of pure disbelief.

"That is why I need you. I can't do this alone. I don't want to live forever, but since I have no choice, I need help."

"Mikaela…" Arcee breathed. She didn't even know what to tell her young human. Mikaela shook her head, eyes shining.

"It's…ok. It really is. I'll get used to it." Mikaela said, swallowing the lump in her throat. "It wont be so bad. I don't have many human friends anyway, see? Just…just Sam." Mikaela wiped her eyes angrily. "And...and…my dad. He's still in prison, his parole is coming up. And I don't want to watch him rot in jail for the rest of his life...and how am I supposed to explain this to him?" Mikaela said, choking back tears. She didn't want to cry. If she did, she was afraid everything would spill out, and she wouldn't be able to stop.

"It is ok, Mikaela." She heard Arcee's soft voice, and felt a large finger on her back, trying to comfort her. It didn't really help, but she was glad they were there.

"I'm just...really afraid." She said with a cough as she wiped her nose.

"We cannot pretend to understand how you feel, Mikaela." Optimus said gently. "We are used to the idea of living a very long time. All we can do is try to help you cope and provide support when you need it." Mikaela nodded vacantly. Arcee looked at Mikaela sadly, then to Optimus. She gave him a soft smile of encouragement, then got up and quietly walked away, leaving the two alone together.

"I feel very lost, Optimus." Mikaela said, staring out into the distance. She wasn't really looking at anything in paticular, just staring off into space. Optimus didn't say anything, choosing instead to listen to her, and provide whatever comfort he could. He couldn't honestly admit he was sorry to hear the news, it did mean a complete lifetime with her, but he could understand her point of view. The bond however, scared him slightly. How connected were they, exactly? He would need to get with Ratchet to discuss this. But for now, he focused his attention on Mikaela.

"I feel lost, and alone." She continued slowly, trying to work her feelings into words. "I know that you guys are willing to help me in any way possible, as I know Sam will. But...you just really don't _understand_. I'm not human anymore, which is a terrifying feeling. But I'm not..." She paused and swallowed hard. "I'm not a robot either. I'm neither race anymore, Optimus and that really freaks me out." Mikaela said with a sigh, dropping her head into her hands. She looked so small and forlorn, Optimus wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around her and hold her, to tell her everything would be fine. Instead he sat quietly and listened to her, because he could tell that is what she really needed at the moment, someone to listen. She sat quietly in Optimus' hand, staring at her body. It didn't seem real. She still looekd the same, her skin wasn't discolored, she still had five fingers on each hand, five toes on each foot. But even looking at herself she could see something was different. Her skin pulsed with...energy. Life. She shivered.

"I do not know what to say, Mikaela. I don't think that there is really anything I can say to make it better." Optimus said helplessly. Mikaela looked up at him, the moonlight falling in streaks on her face because of the trees.

"Just...be here for me?" She asked in a small voice. Optimus' insides twisted, and suddenly he felt selfish for being somewhat glad it had happened. She didn't desreve this. She deserved...better. Anything better than the harsh reality she would now have to face.

"I will always be here for you, Mikaela."


	21. Chapter 21

I am combining movieverse and G1 stuff plus some of my own invention...so bear with me. I'm trying to make the story work and flow. Ok- so I added a bit more at the end, hence me pulling the chapter and reposting. Also, let me know how much longer you want to read this. It's getting really, really long and I'm afraid people are going to lose interest if it goes on much longer. I'm thinking about combining some chapters to make it not as intimidating. Feel free to email/pm/review with thoughts. Thanks!

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Elita was pissed. Pissed at herself, and pissed at the situation. Things should not be this complicated. She could see Mikaela and Optimus talking far in the distance, and it was driving her crazy. Yes, she had told him she was done. Yes, she did have someone else from Cybertron. It didn't make a difference though. There was still connectivity there, she could tell. There was still a spark of a memory hidden away amongst his feelings for that human, she just knew it, memories of metal on metal, sparks flying and nights alone under the vastness of space, just him and her and the stars, cries echoing through the emptiness and- 

"What's the matter with you?" Chromia nudged Elita. "You look like someone took your guns away."

"I'm fine." Elita said shortly, turning away from the scene that was making her so riled. "I'm just fine." Chromis raised metallic blue brows at Elita and peered into Elita's blue optics with her own. Elita looked away, suddenly uncomfortable.

"You don't look fine." Chromia said, folding her arms across her chest. Elita glared at her, blue optics flashing in the darkness.

"I said I was fine, Chromia." Elita snapped at her old friend, who gave her a disgusted look.

"Just make sure you leave him alone. He has enough issues without you becoming one." Chromia growled at her, then stalked away. Elita stared after her friend in shocked silence, then her mood elevated into a quiet rage. She shouldn't be feeling this way, but dammit, she was. He had believed her to be dead, and while she figured that was a pretty reasonable excuse for not coming back for her, she couldn't help but feel slighted. And here, now she was back and in her place was a human, a tiny fleshling that would die in the next seventy years. Elita was a proud bot, and her pride was being severely damaged by the small human female. Elita's processors were whirring and clicking in anger, metal gears grinding in aggravation. She knew Chromia was right, but she didn't want her to be. The noble leader had more than enough on his plate to deal with, the ever present Decepticon threat, the MIA status of Barricade and Frenzy as well as Starscream, the possibility of more Decepticons on the way, Bumblebee's repairs, the pitiful human almost dying. There was another example of human frailty. The pathetic female had almost died from one of Starscream's missiles. Yes, dealt in the wrong spot it would kill anyone, however she knew Autobot's to be quite indestructible, at least to a point. Humans were not. Optimus would always be looking out for the girl, and be constantly distracted from his duties.

She was frustrated with herself. It was very, very unlike her to be so jealous and angry. She had always prided herself on being compassionate and caring when necessary, especially to those weaker than herself. Elita growled and turned away from the scene. It was beyond her power now. He had made his choice long ago, and as far as Elita could tell, the decision was final.

* * *

Sam watched with slight apprehension at the quiet and brief argument between Elita and Chromia. Sam had some concerns with Elita, his main one being that he could tell something had went on at one point between Elita and Optimus, and he wasn't sure that he liked that fact. It seemed like it was something that could easily hurt Mikaela, and, glancing at her and Optimus, he guessed something wasn't totally right and it wouldn't be hard to break her right now. He glanced at Bumblebee, who was cradling him ever-so-gently in a large hand. 

"What was with Optimus and Elita?" Sam asked bluntly. "Because I can see right now that it has potential to cause some serious damage to Optimus and Mikaela." No matter how much Sam may be jealous, he only wanted Mikaela happy. He watched the expressions on Bumblebee's face change as the larger bot pondered his answer.

"I'm not sure if I should be the one to answer that, Sam." Bumblebee said finally, looking down at his human.

"It's just me, Bee." Sam said, looking up at Bumblebee, his eyes pleading. Bumblebee heaved a sigh, how could he ever deny his human anything?

"It began a long, long time ago, millions of your Earth years ago." Bumblebee started slowly. "I do not know much of it since I did not know Optimus yet, but what I do know is that before Optimus and Elita became who they are today, they were ordinary bots working for a living, and they were living for each other." Sam swallowed, his eyes flickering from Optimus far in the distance to Elita, who was crouched next to a tree, looking frustrated.

"I believe Megatron himself gunned Elita and Optimus down, but again I am unsure of the details. I do know that a very, very wise elder brought Optimus and Elita back online as who they are now. Later, after the war had begun in full force, there was a large battle on Cybertron, one of the deadliest that had taken place as of yet. Optimus believed Elita to be destroyed in that battle, and was forced to leave her behind, or suffer severe losses to our side." Bumblebee said quietly. Sam watched his friend in silence, then turned his head to again look at Optimus in a new light.

"So he had to leave his love for dead. That takes guts." Sam stated, folding his arms over his chest, and letting his legs dangle through Bumblebee's fingers. Bumblebee nodded.

"It was the hardest thing he had ever done, at the time." Bumblebee crooked a finger under Sam's chin, making the human stare into his blue optics. "It is in the past. Do not let the story dampen your views of either involved. They are both fiercely loyal warriors and friends. And, by refusing Mikaela several times, I believe it tore Optimus apart far worse than what he had to do back on Cybertron." Bumblebee stared at Optimus thoughtfully. "It is different, I think, with Mikaela." Sam didn't say anything for a while, but simply lay there in Bumblebee's hand staring up at the stars in the night sky, pondering the story. When he finally spoke, it was in soft tones Bumblebee almost had to strain to hear.

"I messed up bad with her, Bee." Sam was staring at the sky. "But you know, things have a way of working out." He rolled slightly and looked pointedly at Bumblebee, who said nothing. "Don't you think?"

"If you believe so, then yes." Bumblebee said, his optics widening and narrowing as he focused on the human. Sam was reminded of human eyes, and it always surprised him how humanlike the Autobots really were. He tended to forget that they were indeed organisms, albeit DNA based computers, and not just hunks of intelligent metal. Leaning back against Bumblebee's hand, Sam continued to stare at the stars.

* * *

Mikaela was calmer now, and she was curled up gently against Optimus' chest, his large hand curved gently around her. Her ear was pressed against the warm metal, and she could hear a constant low hum that told her he was alive, that he was there for her and her only. She closed her eyes, grateful for a moments rest and peace. She could feel Optimus shift slightly below her, and she could hear the metal shifting into place as he settled. She heaved a sigh. She had been out there for a while, and she assumed that they would need to get back, discuss a battle plan. She would just have to see where things would go from here. 

"We should get back." Mikaela said, brushing her tangled hair behind her ears. She really needed a shower. She felt Optimus rumble beneath her, with what she assumed was a sigh. He lifted a hand to her, which she climbed on. Carrying her gently, he strode back over to where the others were waiting quietly. Mikaela noticed Elita's face was tightly drawn, and Arcee and Chromia both just looked annoyed. Optimus stepped into the midst of the Autobots, clearing his throat and folding his arms.

"Ratchet, I need to speak with you. In private." Ratchet nodded at Optimus, and strode off to the side with him.

"Ratchet, what the hell did you do to Mikaela?" Optimus growled at him.

"The only thing that would save her life, sir." Ratchet said stiffly, knowing that this talk had been coming. Optimus gave a sigh and began pacing.

"Explain this bond to me, Ratchet. How is this going to affect us?" Optimus stated as he paced.

"The bond works like any other bond now, Optimus. The only main difference is that she is- was- human." Ratchet stated, realizing he wasn't making a lot of sense. Optimus stopped pacing, and faced him, waiting for the explanation. Ratchet gave a sigh.

"Honestly, Optimus, I'm not sure. I've never seen anything like it. I do not know how much she told you." Ratchet said, feeling out the territory.

"She said that you used part of my spark to give her life." Optimus' fingers absently trailed to his chest, lingering near his spark casing. "She also said that her body was now mainly Cybertronian." Ratchet gave a slow nod.

"She left a few things out, I see. She left me to explain that." Ratchet took a deep breath. "Neither of you were…particularly coherent during what I was doing so…ah… I had to just go on instinct." Optimus lifted a metallic brow, but stayed silent. Ratchet cleared his throat.

"I used the Allspark shard like Sam suggested, not sure if you remember that…" Ratchet paused abruptly, and Optimus gave a nod. "Well, I used it, but I couldn't remove it without killing her. The Allspark shard, fueled with the power of your spark, is now her lifespark. It is what is keeping her alive. It's using her body as a protective case, building defenses and making her stronger, more durable." Ratchet said, wincing under Optimus' stare. "Her bone structure is turning metallic, instead of blood she is flowing pure energy, much like us. All of her organs are now electronically powered. I'd like to run more tests on her, sir." Ratchet cleared his throat again, hesitating slightly before he spoke his next words.

"Optimus…she has all the characteristics that the Allspark itself had."

Optimus gave a growl upon hearing the news from Ratchet.

"That is good and bad news." Optimus began pacing faster. "Can she...create?" Ratchet gave a one shouldered shrug.

"I'm not sure. I'd like to run tests on her, but I do not think she is ready for that yet." Ratchet said, watching Optimus give a single nod.

"Understandable." Optimus stopped pacing and faced Ratchet. "This is going to be a problem. She's in the most danger she's ever been in. We must keep her safe. Our first priority must be to protect her, especially now that the shard has adapted and changed to suit its needs. Whatever the costs, keeping her alive must now be our priority. The Decepticons must NOT find out about this."


	22. Chapter 22

"Barricade." The voice that spoke his name was deep, cold, cruel. Barricade gave a half shudder, trying unsuccessfully to hide it. He heard a deep laugh, somewhere in the recesses of his mind. The voice, the beast was in the room with him. Unfortunately, all of Barricade's eyes had been gouged out, along with most of his internal processors. His spark casing had nearly been torn out, and it now hung precariously from his chest by a few wires. He had paid for his treachery dearly, and he was beginning to think that it hadn't been worth it. However, deep inside of his mind, he knew it had been. Something about that damnable human girl had made him pause, made him think. He hadn't killed her when he had the chance, and he hadn't killed the Autobot's when he had the chance. No, instead, he had opted to shoot down Shockwave, which had severely pissed off a once again resurrected Megatron. Oh yes, Megatron was back. Arcee had unknowingly been right, the foul creature never fully died. Barricade didn't know how he had been brought back this time, or if Optimus had even ever really killed him. All he knew at the moment was pure pain.

Barricade had blocked out most of the torture that he had endured after Megatron had become whole again. Barricade knew that Megatron was making sure Barricade would not make the same mistake again. Megatron was correct, in that regard. Barricade would not make the same mistake again, especially since the whole episode with Mikaela had made his resolve and dedication falter. He reflected on this as Megatron continually abused him, tearing away at sensitive wiring and delicate circuitry. He had long ago learned to block out most of whatever Megatron dealt. The Decepticon leader treated most of his followers in the way he treated Barricade, instilling a rule of fear as opposed to Optimus' rule of justice. This also made Barricade pause and think. What was so terribly wrong with that sort of rule? Ruling the universe had never appealed to Barricade, the only thing that really had appealed to him about the whole thing was fighting; working out his savage taste for brutality. Barricade had a lot of pent up energy, from a lot of different causes.

"I asked you a question." Megatron's low deep voice cut through Barricade's thoughts. He didn't bother to reply to Megatron; instead he was simply content to glare at him. "You spared the human girl. Repeatedly. And you shot down my most trusted…_companion_, who no thanks to you, is up and fully functional again. Now, I will ask you again, WHY?" Megatron roared his question, shaking Barricade violently, grabbing hold of his jaw and ripping downwards. Barricade turned his head into Megatron's direction placidly, red eyes flickering as they hung lifelessly from his face. Barricade wasn't sure how much longer he could last, his energy reserves were seriously depleted, especially after the fight, and he could feel his body going into shock. Barricade said nothing, which infuriated Megatron even more. With a roar, he took hold of Barricades spark casing, delicately held together by a few simple wires, and jerked. Barricade could feel the last few wires snapping, and the last thing he saw before internally shutting down and going into shock, was Megatron looking down on him in triumph.

-----

Mikaela could barely control her emotions. She had followed Optimus and Ratchet to listen in, it did concern her after all. She figured she at least had a right to know. She had heard Ratchet say it sounded like she had characteristics of the Allspark before, when he was explaining her situation to her, but...not to this magnitude. She had a few ideas flirting around in her head, and one of them she didn't really want to dare breathe to anyone, in case it didn't work. She didn't even know how she would begin to achieve it. She knew she needed help, and she wasn't sure who she should ask. She though about asking Arcee, but she didn't think that it would be that great of an idea, especially considering Arcee's feelings. She immediately ruled out Ironhide, he was too gruff and formal. Besides, she needed someone she was closer to. She heaved a sigh, finally deciding on Bumblebee. She slipped away from the discussion between Optimus and Ratchet, picking her way back to the others. She came upon Sam and Bumblebee, who were sitting slightly apart from the others. She could see Sam cradled in Bee's large hand, and she stepped up to them and cleared her throat.

"Hey…can I ask a favor of you?" She twisted her hands as she watched Bumblebee peer down at her. Sam was half awake, and stuck his tousled head over the side of Bee's hand and stared down at her.

"Sure Mikaela. What's up?" Sam said sleepily. Bee lowered his hand gently, and Sam crawled down off of it and stood next to Mikaela, rubbing his eyes.

"Well, it's not really all that simple. I need Bumblebee to take me somewhere." She said, pressing her fingers to her temples. Sam frowned at her.

"Take you somewhere? Now? And where?"

"Yes, now. And I can't tell you where. And I'm sorry…it really needs to be just me and Bumblebee." She said, watching his face grow annoyed. Bumblebee was staring at Mikaela in mild interest now.

"Mikaela, you can't just leave now. There was a just a huge battle, everyone almost died, and you want to go roaming around by yourself?" He shook his head. "No way."

"I'll make the decision, Sam." Bumblebee's voice interjected into the conversation, astonishing Sam. "If Mikaela feels that she needs to be somewhere right now, then it must be important. Especially if she must keep the information from you, as you are her most trusted friend." Mikaela looked gratefully at Bumblebee, who had seemed to pacify Sam.

"I still don't see why it has to be now, in the middle of the night, and without me." He grumbled, giving her a glare. Mikaela sighed, she felt bad about it, she really did but she didn't want to many people knowing. If she failed…well she didn't want to think about that. She didn't think that she could. She didn't know what would happen if she didn't succeed, then again she didn't know what would happen if she did. She glanced up at Bumblebee, giving him a small, hopeful smile. Bee's blue optics flickered to the left and right, then jerked his head towards the road. She followed slowly, trying not to draw attention to herself, or Bee. He led her away from the group, and she followed as quietly as she possibly could, although Bumblebee's bulk was enough to nearly make the ground shake. Miraculously, no one saw them leaving except Sam. They all seemed very intent on their own inner battles. It had been very quiet once Mikaela and Sam had reached the clearing, and it seemed like an unbreakable tension was hanging in the air.

Bumblebee had to admit he was very curious. He knew little about the situation, only that something very, very important was going on. He knew that he needed to assist Mikaela, because in doing so, he was assisting Prime. That much he could gather, especially from what he knew of Mikaela and Optimus' relationship. He glanced behind him, staring at the little human who trailed behind him. Her face was white, and he could tell she was preoccupied. He wasn't sure exactly, what Ratchet had done to save her, but he could tell it changed her. He refrained from running scans on her, he didn't want to do that unless she permitted him. He was dying to, however, since he knew how fragile humans were and how easily they can die. He didn't really know how Ratchet had saved her. He did know she had saved his life, Sam had told him that much. He knew she had secured his spark casing after his run in with Megatron. Bumblebee was grateful for that, and he felt as if he owed her something in return. As they reached the edge of the woods and the side of the road, he folded in upon himself and changed, the hood slamming down as he completed the transformation, and the driver's side door swung open for Mikaela. She climbed wearily inside the car, and rested her head back on the cushion.

"Bumblebee, I need you to take me back to the Autobot base. As fast as you possibly can, please." She knew that it wasn't to terribly far from there; they had placed it out in the middle of nowhere on purpose. None of them realized that they would be doing battle quite that close the their temporary headquarters. Bumblebee's engine revved in response, and they took off like a shot. She watched Bumblebee's speedometer climb until it no longer went any further. She knew they were going faster than what it said, and she was satisfied with that.

Closing her eyes, she rested for a moment, taking in all the events and emotions of the day. Everything had happened so fast, so suddenly. It seemed like they had crammed a weeks worth of events into the past twenty-four hours. She gave a sigh, and rubbed her eyes that were threatening to tear up. She was done with crying, she hadn't shed a tear when Ratchet told her of her long future, and she wanted to keep it that way. No more weakness. Besides, if she had…characteristics…of the Allspark, didn't she at least need some dignity? God, that was hard to swallow. Being like the Allspark? Nearly dying? Being saved by a Decepticon numerous times? She couldn't wrap her head around everything that had happened. She barely noticed Bumblebee's radio playing in the background, it was so soft. She knew Bumblebee liked to play different songs to emote how he was feeling or what he was thinking, especially since it had been his communication before his voice had been repaired. Then again Mikaela suspected that Bumblebee just liked oldies. Her point being proven, she could hear faint strains of the old song 'Louie Louie' playing over his radio. Suddenly the radio snapped off.

"Might I ask why we are going back to the base?" She heard Bumblebee's mild tone, but she knew she couldn't keep him totally in the dark. She also knew she would have some explaining to do. He didn't know the whole story. She owed him that much. Slowly, halting she began to explain.

"Well…honestly Bee I don't even know the extent of it. It's a long, complicated process that Ratchet explained to me, and to be truthful I didn't hear most of it. I was in shock. I had to…er…listen in on Optimus and Ratchet to finally fully understand what was going on." She started out slowly, then she began working through the basics of what she knew.

"Ratchet told me that he used the actual All spark shard to keep me alive. He coupled it with Optimus' spark, which did two things, I think. The first was create a very strong bond between Optimus and I." She ran her tongue over her lips. That alone was hard to handle. The next part was what made it the most difficult. Although she wouldn't be too upset to spend the rest of time with Optimus.

"Well…in using the Allspark shard…to make a long story short it ended up…turning my body." She winced here, she didn't like this part. It was so hard to accept. "Basically, my whole body died. To keep me alive, Ratchet used the spark but it reacted differently than he expected. It made me…half Cybertronian, if not all." She thought she heard Bumblebee make a noise at this, but he still said nothing.

"Also…Ratchet told me I have characteristics of the All spark itself. Especially since my…spark…is the shard itself." She could tell she was confusing.

"May I run a scan on you?" Bumblebee asked politely. It would be a little difficult with her in the car, but it could be done.

"Sure…" Mikaela said uncomfortably. She hated it when they ran scans over her body it felt like she was naked in front of the doctor. It was a creepy feeling. At least this time he wasn't standing in front of her, scanning her up and down. "I know most of that was confusing, and I'm sorry…" Her voice trailed off as Bumblebee's cut in.

"I understand. In running my scan, I think everything is very clear now." She chewed on her lower lip again, picking at an imaginary strand of hair on her pants. Bumblebee waited, she would tell him her reasons soon. Sure enough, Mikaela's next sentence gave away her ambition.

"Bumblebee…I think I can bring back Jazz."


	23. Chapter 23

If you are confused, it's because I combined some chapters at the beginning. ff has also been quite pissy lately and has been switching up my fic to where chapters repeat themselves, or just don't exist. I think all the bugs are worked out now, so even if you can't review it, here's another chappie for you ;)

* * *

Mikaela could smell burned rubber. She glared at the dashboard of the yellow Camaro, folding her arms over her chest. 

"That was hardly necessary. And didn't I tell you we needed to hurry?" She snapped, hating herself for being bitchy to Bumblebee but they really were in a hurry.

"What did you say?" Bumblebee asked, his voice catching.

"I said, we are in a hurry and -" She sounded annoyed when Bumblebee cut her off.

"No. Before that." His voice was urgent.

"Before you slammed on the brakes and flung me into the windshield?"

"Mikaela."

"Right. Sorry. I said," she paused, clearing her throat, "I think I can bring back Jazz." She licked her lips, suddenly wondering if this had been a good idea.

"How...how do you plan on accomplishing that?" Bumblebee's voice sounded strangled, and it was then that she realized that Jazz's death had hurt a lot more than the Autobot's had previously let on. She ran her fingers through her matted hair, cringing at his overly hopeful tone.

"Well...like I said, Ratchet told me I had characteristics of the Allspark." Mikaela played with her hands, avoiding any contact with the car. "And I heard Optimus ask if I can create. I thought it was worth a shot, at any rate..." Mikaela looked up then, running her hands across the dashboard. She felt Bumblebee shudder beneath her touch, and she lifted a brow, but didn't comment.

"You are right." Bumblebee said finally. "It is worth a try. If you do not succeed, then we have lost nothing in the process. Unless...will it harm you?" Bumblebee asked seriously.

"I don't know." Mikaela said truthfully. "Honestly, I'm not even sure how to do it. Or, like I said, even if I can do it. It's just a shot in the dark."

"Shot in the dark? You will work in the dark?" Bumblebee sounded confused. Mikaela suppressed a giggle.

"No, I mean...it's not likely but I'll try anyway." She said helpfully.

"I see." Bumblebee's engines revved in response, and they were off again, this time, the countryside whizzing by her faster than before.

* * *

Barricade was still unconscious when Megatron tossed his body outside. They had taken refuge far away from the destroyed warehouse, in a cave somewhere in the mountains. Megatron didn't really care what happened to the traitorous little fuck, either way Barricade was as good as dead. Megatron had torn the spark casing nearly out, it was left hanging by one teeny little wire. Enough to keep Barricade out of commission for quite some time, and in quite a bit of pain if he ever actually came out of stasis, which Megatron highly doubted. Either way, he didn't care what happened to him. He had other plans to attend to. Getting his hands on that girl, and getting Prime off his back for good.

* * *

Bumblebee and Mikaela pulled up to the makeshift Autobot base they had constructed in the middle of the Nevada desert. Climbing out of the car, Mikaela waited patiently as Bumblebee changed. As he let her inside the base, Bumblebee still had apprehensions about the whole ordeal. But like she said...why not? It was at least worth a shot. 

"Where is he, Bee?" She knew they would have kept the body, they wouldn't have allowed the government to just toss it over the side of a boat like they had done to the Decepticons. Bee lifted a large hand and pointed to a large storage unit, similar to a chest freezer. Mikaela walked slowly over to it, despite her need for urgency. She was sure she and Bee had been missed by now, and she knew Optimus was going to be pretty pissed when he discovered they were missing. She needed to be quick. Especially since no one else had any idea where they had gone.

"Okay Bee, I need your help. I...I need you to help me lift him out of here. I will need tools also." She said, watching Bumblebee open the storage chest and lift the remains of Jazz out. She winced at the wires hanging limply from Jazz's torso, his legs dangling lifelessly in Bumblebee's other arm. She didn't catch the look of pure despair on Bumblebee's face when he lifted his old friend out of the chest. It hurt Bee to look at his old friend like that.

"Just...just lay him down. I'll work with what I have." Mikaela said quietly. She needed to reconnect a lot of the wires and solder a lot of his body back together. Bumblebee nodded, and gently lay Jazz on the floor. Mikaela took a deep breath, and set to work as Bee brought her the requested tools.

"Where the hell are Mikaela and Bumblebee?" Optimus' voice was low and cold. Sam shivered in the cool night air, and under Optimus' hard blue gaze.

"I-I don't know. S-s-sorry." Sam's teeth were chattering, his hands felt like blocks of ice. It was damn cold outside, and his jacket was literally in shreds. Mikaela and Bumblebee had been gone for about an hour before Optimus and Ratchet came back and discovered their party was now two short.

"What, exactly, do you know then?" Optimus asked, although it wasn't really a question, it was more of a demand.

"She wouldn't say. All she did was insist I stay here, that she couldn't tell me anything, then she took off with Bee." Sam said, folding his arms across his chest. "That's all I really know." Optimus stared at him for a long moment, then lifted his gaze to the others.

"We MUST find her." Optimus said, glancing around to each face. Arcee especially looked pissed. Why had Mikaela taken Bee? Arcee would have driven the girl anywhere she wanted to go.

"Why? Didn't we do this last time, and we all nearly got killed? The girl nearly got herself killed." Elita's voice rang out over the rest of them. Optimus turned to face her, his blue optics which had once been gentle and loving towards here, were now cold and angry.

"Do you really want to know why, Elita?" Optimus said, his voice low. "Because Ratchet and I believe she now possesses the powers of the Allspark. If the Decepticons get their hands on her, they'll use her to do just what they wanted to do before. Take over the universe, kill everything in their way." Optimus stood up straight, watching Elita's changing reactions. She was acting so different lately. He had never known her to be jealous, spiteful. Glancing around, he saw everyone's shocked faces, especially Sam's.

"Allspark?" Sam squeaked. Optimus gave a single nod.

"Yes." Optimus said, crossing his arms over his chest. He began to explain everything he and Ratchet had spoken of, watching everyone's expression go from skeptical to incredulous.

"Mikaela is the Allspark?!" Chromia cried out. Optimus' gaze flickered over to her, and gave a hesitant nod.

"That is what we believe. We cannot be certain until Ratchet runs tests on her." Optimus said, looking at Ratchet.

"He is right. All that we know for sure is that Mikaela's spark is the shard itself. As you all know, the Allspark was suspected to be…sentient. Coherent." Ratchet began pacing as he spoke. "When I used the shard coupled with a piece of Optimus' on Mikaela, it began to…change her. Her organs and all of her internal workings became…bionic. Robotic. Her outward appearance hasn't changed, but her entire molecular structure is now very similar to our own. She is electronically powered, she'll live as long as we do, perhaps longer." Ratchet stopped pacing and stared at the others faces. "The one difference- she has the power of the Allspark within her."

* * *

Mikaela leaned back, brushing her hair out of her face. She was slightly grateful for the Autobot base, at least they had taken humans into consideration, building a bathroom and showers. She would enjoy a shower once she was finished. Her and Sam both had kept clothes at the base, just in case. That change of cloths was going to come in very handy. Her own now were barely there, after being shot, her stuff had really taken a beating. She looked down at her work, and rubbed her cheek. 

"You are doing well, Mikaela." Bumblebee said from her side, handing her the things she needed as she worked. Bumblebee knew putting Jazz back together really wasn't going to do the trick, but he was hoping with everything he had that she would be able to give Jazz his life back.

"Thanks, Bee." Mikaela said tiredly. She had been working now for about three hours straight. Jazz's structure was nearly complete, she only had a few soldering points left, a few wires to reconnect, and she would be finished with that part.

"I am…happy for you and Optimus." Bumblebee said, pausing slightly in the middle of the sentence. "I have never seen him quite so…" Bumblebee paused, searching his memory banks for the right word. "Quite so captivated." Mikaela paused in her work, glancing up at him, her cheeks flushing.

"R-really?" She asked breathlessly. Her cheeks burned even more when Bumblebee gave a single nod. She concentrated on the task in front of her, but a small part of her mind drifted back to Optimus every so often. Her small fingers slipped into the necessary areas, winding, connecting, fusing, and meshing things together seamlessly. Leaning back, she surveyed the work in front of her. She looked up at Bumblebee, who nodded his approval.

"Well done." He stated, noting there was no seam in Jazz's body where she had welded him back together. Her work was flawless. Jazz looked brand new.

"Okay. This is the part where I have no idea what I'm doing." Mikaela said, tugging at her hair. She took a deep breath, and splayed her hands flat across Jazz's chest. "Here goes nothing…"


	24. Chapter 24

Barricade could feel himself coming back online. He was slowly but surely coming out of his stasis, although he wasn't sure he actually wanted too. He gave a groan, but it sounded more like a pathetic whine than anything else. Megatron had got him good this time. He was in more pain than he had ever been in. His spark casing was dangling by a wire, he could tell he was missing limbs; they were around somewhere. His jaw was dangling, unhinged, and his eyes had been pulled out one by one. He tried running a diagnostic on himself, but most of his processors were shot. He could barely function as it was, and coming back online was taking a lot of energy. He wasn't sure why he was doing it really, but he felt like he needed to be coherent. He feebly tested his messaging system, and was surprised that it was still intact. But who would he contact? He wanted nothing to do with the Decepticons, and yet he really wanted no part of the Autobot's either. He ran diagnostic scans on himself, ignoring the roaring pain that threatened to overtake him and send him back into stasis. He knew coming back online so soon after what had been done put his life at a serious risk.

"F-f-f-f-frenzy?" He stuttered, trying his hardest to send a message to the little cretin. He received no response. Either Frenzy was dead, or he had deserted Barricade. Either way, Barricade was still in trouble. He tested his arms, one worked, the other didn't. His good arm lifted and gripping his cracked and abused spark casing, a howl of pure pain resounding through the low valley in which he lay. He could feel himself fading, and right before he went back into stasis, he managed to send a message to one he hoped would remember him.

_Someone save me if you will  
And take away all these pills  
And please just save me, if you can  
From the blasphemy in my wasteland…_

* * *

"This is cause for concern, Optimus." Ironhide's voice was low and serious. "We need to know where she is, we need to be able to protect her and keep this information from the Decepticons." 

"I agree." Optimus said, glancing down at Sam. "Are you sure she did not tell you where she was going?"

"I swear Optimus. She told me to stay here, she needed it to be just her and Bee." Sam stated seriously.

"We need to open a com link with Bumblebee. We need to find them. Ratchet, open yours and see if you can establish a connection. I will try to communicate with Mikaela. If you are correct, Ratchet, her brain should be starting to convert to Cybertronian."

"Yes, Optimus. She will be able to see like we do, establish connections like we do, and access the web like we do." Ratchet said, watching Optimus.

"Cool." Sam muttered, folding his arms across his body.

"Not 'cool' as you would say." Arcee gave Sam a shove with her foot. "How would you like it if you had to watch everyone you loved grow old and die before your eyes, while you lived on, young and healthy? That is how she feels." Sam had the decency to look ashamed, and while Ratchet worked on his connection with Bumblebee, Arcee decided to ignore Optimus, as she tried to establish her own connection with Mikaela. Arcee knew Mikaela was up to something, and she wasn't sure if it would please Optimus or just piss him off.

Elita was still standing there, staring in shock at Optimus after his announcement. She made her way over to him, and took his arm.

"Optimus…is it really true?" She asked, not daring to hope. "The girl…she can…create?"

"We do not know for sure, Elita. All we know is that she has the characteristics, and the power. We have run no tests. Ratchet needs to do so, that is why we must find her." Optimus said, not looking at Elita. He hadn't missed the tone in her voice when she had questioned him, and he hadn't missed the dirty looks she had given Mikaela over the past hours. Elita released Optimus' arm, and stared up at the stars and spoke quietly.

"Maybe…we can finally rebuild our home."

* * *

"Ok, Jazz. Time to see if this works." Mikaela closed her eyes, letting herself relax. Her hands rested gently on Jazz's chest atop his spark, her fingers curled gently around the casing. She could feel something inside of her, deep in her belly. She could feel it rolling and surging, trying to explode forth from her as she sat there. She tried her hardest to control it, but it was overwhelming. The intensity of the feeling was overtaking her, and she fought it down with everything she had within her. She needed control and precision here, not just an outburst of power. She relaxed her control slightly, letting a little bit of it trickle out from her finger tips. Peeking through her eyelashes, she saw the blue tendrils of energy curl around Jazz's spark, giving it a soft glow. Encouraged, she let a little more out, this time watching in total amazement as it wrapped itself around the spark and began to pulse. 

"B-b-b-b-bee what's happening?" Mikaela stuttered, it was difficult to control and talk at the same time, and whatever she was doing felt like it was sapping the energy right out of her.

"I…I don't know, Mikaela." Bumblebee was watching the scene play out before him in total wonder. HE had never seen anything like it. Mikaela was positively glowing with a blue energy aura. He could see it crackling around her, and through her. Where her hands rested on Jazz, it pulsed with…life.

Mikaela ground her teeth together, it was costing so much more of herself than she had initially thought. It would be worth it, though. She concentrated, focusing everything she had on the Autobot lying in front of her.

"All right, Jazz…NOW." Mikaela pushed the last burst of energy through her body sending it all into Jazz's spark. The last thing she saw before she blacked out was Jazz's eyes flash blue and stare into her own.

* * *

"Optimus…" Arcee had walked up to him, and touched his shoulder. "I tried to find Mikaela." Optimus swung his face around to look at her, lifting a brow. 

"Really?" He asked, watching her as she fidgeted before their leader.

"Y-yes. Optimus I can't find her. It's like looking for something that doesn't exist." Arcee wrung her hands. "Something isn't right. I can't find her." Arcee was repeating herself, she knew it, but she was wild with worry. This was a bad sign. Optimus stared at her in concern. "Try, Optimus."

"Mikaela…" He tried to reach her through his link, but he received no response. HE tried to feel her out by the bond they shared, and still nothing. It was like reaching into a black hole.

"We must find her." He said, his concern mounting. "Ratchet, have you established a connection with Bumblebee?"

"No, Optimus. He isn't responding to anything I'm saying. All I'm getting from him is a distress signal, and from it I've pegged his location. He is at the Autobot base. I can only hope she is there with him." Ratchet said, folding down and changing, the search and rescue vehicle now in front of Optimus as opposed to the tall yellow 'bot. Optimus nodded, following Ratchet's example.

"To the Autobot base. Now. We must hurry. The signal Bumblebee is emitting will attract more than just us." He left no room for questioning as his tires kicked up dust and dirt as he sped off.

Sam quickly jumped into Ironhide as he changed, realizing that if he didn't he would be stuck sitting there. He didn't really want that to happen, as there were probably Decepticons floating around out there. He was uncomfortable; he had never ridden with Ironhide before. He didn't know what to say to the older 'bot, so he simply sat there in silence, fidgeting. Pulling a pack of crackers out of his pocket that he had snagged from home before everything had happened, he realized he was ravenous. Peeling back the wrapper carefully, as they were mostly crumbs now, he jumped as he heard a growl from Ironhide.

"Don't get crumbs all over me." Ironhide's voice sounded irritated. Sam gulped, and as carefully as possible took the first bite out of his snack. He was pleased with himself, he didn't lose a single tiny crumb. But when Ironhide hit a bump in the road, he dropped the whole pack completely onto Ironhide's new carpet.

"Hey! I told you not to drop anything!" Ironhide snapped. "Now I'll be itchy." He sounded aggravated, and Sam guiltily picked up his snack and ate it anyway.

"S-sorry…" Sam said, gulping down the crackers, dust and all. They rode in silence a while longer, until Ironhide spoke again.

"Sorry, boy. Didn't mean to snap at you. I am just concerned."

"I understand. I am too." Sam replied, staring out the window. "I hope she is ok."

"As do I. For everyone's sake."

* * *

Jazz felt _weird_. Not just as in he felt sick, or felt like something was broken. He just felt…weird. He knew he had been…out for a while. He gave a loud groan, then sat up slowly, rubbing his head with a metallic hand. Testing his arms and legs; he was surprised to find them in fully functional condition. He ran a diagnostic scan on himself, and was shocked to find everything in perfect working order. 

"What the hell." Jazz muttered under his breath. How was he even alive? Last thing he remembered was being torn apart by Megatron, and then nothing. He stood up and stretched, metallic pieces falling perfectly into place, his joints creaking and snapping in all the right places. He had really never felt better.

"Jazz." He heard a voice behind him, one he had not heard in a long, long time. He slowly turned around, and looked at Bumblebee. The next thing he knew, the younger Autobot's arms were flung around him as Bumblebee squeezed his friend. Jazz couldn't help but laugh and fold his arms around Bumblebee, returning his friends embrace. Letting go, Jazz stepped back to give Bumblebee a grin.

"Bumblebee, you don't know how glad I am to see your face again. I thought I was done for. Did you…fix me?" Jazz asked, but was surprised to see his old friends face darken.

"No…she did." Bumblebee pointed to a fallen Mikaela. She was sprawled out on the ground, eyes closed as though she were asleep, although she wasn't. After finishing Jazz, she had seen those bright blue optics flash in her face, then nothing. Bumblebee suspected she was in stasis as opposed to human sleep, but he needed Ratchet to check her out. He had though he felt Ratchet probing in when he was dragging Mikaela off of Jazz, but he wasn't sure. He needed to establish a link with Ratchet, soon.

"The little human?" Jazz was in total shock. A human had brought him back? How had she given him life again? Bumblebee gave a single nod.

"Optimus can explain everything much better, but if you run a scan of her, and that will give you the basic idea." Jazz complied, scanning Mikaela's prone body.

"Holy shit, Bee. What happened?" Jazz exclaimed as he ran the scan.

"I wish I knew all the details, the chemistry and physics of it all, but I do not. Optimus can explain it better, I think." Bumblebee said. "But now we must get word to them." Reaching out across the distance, Bumblebee searched for Ratchet.

"_Ratchet_?"

"_Yes_?" Ratchet's response was immediate and urgent, telling Bumblebee that he and Mikaela had definitely been missed.

"_I've got Mikaela. She needs help_."

"_I figured_." Ratchet sounded almost sardonic, but he kept his frustration out of his voice. "_What the hell was she trying to pull, running off again_?"

"_I think you had all better come and see for yourselves_." Bumblebee sounded strange, and Ratchet didn't like that.

"_We are already on the way_."


	25. Chapter 25

Power sliding to a halt in front of the Autobot base; Optimus was already halfway transformed when his tires stopped rolling. He wanted to throttle Mikaela for running off again, but at the same time he wanted to hold her and make sure she was all right. The others followed Optimus, transforming in motion. Optimus flung the door open, striding into the base, fully intending on giving her a piece of his mind. He stopped short when he saw Jazz standing there. Ironhide, who had been immediately behind Optimus, ran into the leader, whose jaw was hanging open at the sight of Jazz standing there.

"What…what…?" Optimus couldn't even form the question. Jazz gave him an easy grin.

"Yo, Optimus. What's up?" He asked grinning at him. Optimus stood there, staring at him his optics nearly popping out of his head at the sight of Jazz.

"H-how?" Jazz grinned at him, nodding at Mikaela, who looked as though she was sleeping peacefully on one of the medical beds.

"Move. NOW." Arcee was shoving her way to the front, she had thought she heard a familiar voice, but no, it couldn't be, he was dead-

"Arcee." Jazz's voice pierced through her spark, and she as she shoved Optimus and Ironhide out of her way, she caught her first glimpse of Jazz since Cybertron.

"Oh, Jazz." She fell into his waiting arms, the smaller female's metallic arms wrapping solidly around Jazz's silver frame. It had been so long since she had seen him, she couldn't even begin to count. She didn't want to. All that mattered was he was here now, alive and standing in front of her again. Jazz gave her a tight squeeze, then released her from his embrace, but kept her smaller hand in his.

"What of Mikaela?" Jazz pressed, the girl had saved him from the very thing they all privately feared.

"I'm…I'm here." Ratchet said, pushing his way forward, staring at Jazz, open-mouthed. He strode over to Mikaela, clapping Jazz on the back as he passed him. "Good to have you back." Ratchet grinned at him, relieved beyond words to have him back. He went over to Mikaela, running his scans before he even reached her side.

"Optimus." Jazz greeted his leader warmly, clasping hands with the large Autobot.

"Jazz. It is an honor, once again." Optimus said, giving his first lieutenant a clap on the shoulder. "We thought we would never…" Optimus cut himself off, overwhelmed by emotions. Mikaela had done this. For him. For all of them. For Jazz. He had never been so consumed with devotion as he was now. He couldn't believe she had risked herself for Jazz, then again…he could. She had proven over and over throughout the past few hours, months, that she was capable of thinking of others, and not just herself. She had nearly died twice, and she still continued to help whenever she could, continued to do whatever she could to save others. Optimus couldn't help it. He gave Jazz's hand a final grip, then strode over to Mikaela.

"Will she be all right?" Optimus asked Ratchet, his tone low and worried. Ratchet looked askance at Optimus, giving him an easy smile.

"She'll be fine. She's just slipped into stasis to rest herself. From what I can tell, using the energy exhausts her." He looked down at Mikaela. "I honestly don't know how she would perform on a greater scale. I don't know if she can create life, from a non-sentient appliance or vehicle. But I think that it is safe to say she can, from what she has done here with Jazz." He stopped speaking as Mikaela began to move, her features settling into a frown.

Ironhide and Chromia stepped forward as Optimus and Ratchet walked away. Chromia embraced Jazz with an easy grin. She hadn't witnessed his death or the horrible finality of it, it wasn't nearly as shocking for her as it was for Ironhide, Optimus and Ratchet. Ironhide shook his hand, his grip hard.

"Back from the dead, eh?" Ironhide said, his voice gruff. He was trying to keep his emotion out of his voice, but he wasn't really succeeding. Chromia covered her mouth with a smile, and looked away as the two friends greeted each other.

"Back and ready for action, old man." Jazz said, smacking Ironhide on his shoulder. Ironhide glared at Jazz in mock anger.

"Old man, eh?" Ironhide smirked at the younger 'bot, clapping Jazz back. Arcee grinned at Ironhide, her hand back in Jazz's. Ironhide walked off towards Bumblebee, who was hanging back with Sam, who was staring at Jazz in awe. Chromia however, hung back and rested her eyes upon Elita, then on Optimus who was hovering by Mikaela. She moved to Elita, she had a thing or two to tell her.

* * *

Mikaela was dreaming. _Odd_, she thought. _Do robots dream too_? It wasn't a normal dream. It was just a white emptiness, like a dry erase board. She could feel herself healing, her body taking care of the exhaustion she had incurred during her repairs on Jazz. It was calming, the feeling of her body taking care of itself. Except she kept hearing music. She could feel her features arranging into a frown. Where was it coming from? 

…_Someone save me if you will…_

Where the hell was that coming from? She could hear it, and she tried desperately to reach out towards it. Every time she felt like she had a grasp on the source, it slipped away from her.

_…Someone save me if you will  
And take away all these pills…_

Angry now, she grabbed at it, clutching it with everything she had, trying her best to determine the source. Still nothing, the signal faded back into darkness, just beyond her reach.

_…And please just save me, if you can  
From the blasphemy in my wasteland…_

She was frustrated. It was sucking up energy every time she grabbed at the signal. She waited for a moment, listening to the signal fade in and out. Once it came back stronger, she made a final lunge, grasping at the signal before it faded. Working her mind around it, she could feel herself processing the information, dragging coordinates from the fading signal. She couldn't tell who was sending it, but she could defiantly discern that the one sending it was in big trouble. She released the signal, having retrieved the coordinates and stored them in her memory bank, and slipped into a more comatose state.

* * *

"Wonder what she's thinking." Sam said, staring down at Mikaela's face. "Maybe she's having a bad dream." 

"I'm not sure if she can dream, Sam." Ratchet said, watching Mikaela's face change as it changed from frowning to angry to frustrated. "Her levels are all normal, but her adrenaline and heart rate keep jumping."

"She still has a heart?" Sam asked curiously. Ratchet glanced at him, bemused.

"She still has all of her internal organs Sam. They are just…robotic now. As opposed to fuel tanks and mufflers, she has electric lungs, heart, and other organs."

"Cool." Sam said, staring down at Mikaela as she gripped her blanket, pulling it up to her chin. "Didn't know you guys could move in stasis."

"We don't, normally. But she is different than us. Perhaps she can dream, and move." Ratchet spoke as he watched Mikaela as well.

Optimus hadn't moved from her side. He had the hand that wasn't clutching a blanket gently in his own. He kept a silent vigil over her, speaking only when necessary, much to Elita's annoyance. Elita was pacing a lot, and Chromia finally jerked her to a halt, dragging her outside.

"What is with you?" Chromia demanded.

"Nothing. We have discussed this already." Elita snapped. She hated herself for being so jealous. She had told herself she was over him, she had thought she was, but having him near and close, it was apparent to herself, and obviously Chromia, she was not.

"Leave it be, Elita. It's behind you. Move on. You can't obsess about this, it isn't like you." Chromia said, letting go of Elita, staring hard into Elita's eyes.

"I know." Elita said, slumping against the building. Chromia looked at her, alarmed. She had never seen her leader look so defeated.

"Look, Elita. I know you two had a thing. Everyone knows. But it's been millions of years, Elita. Just_ let it go_." Chromia said gently, taking Elita's hand in her own. Elita looked up at Chromia, blue optics flaring in the moonlight.

"You are right. I was so stupid, such a fool. It is apparent he is happy, and who am I to disrupt that?" Elita said, staring into Chromia's eyes. Chromia gave a nod, then smiled at her leader.

"That's more like you. I've never seen you look so…upset, Elita. It isn't like the proud, kind, giving leader I have always known. Get rid of this moping, whining Elita and bring back the one that we all knew and loved." Chromia said, squeezing Elita's hand.

"I will. Thank you, Chromia." Elita said, squeezing Chromia's hand back.

They walked back inside together, Elita feeling much better and Chromia feeling rather accomplished.

* * *

Mikaela was still resting fitfully. She was vaguely aware now of Optimus' holding her hand, and she felt her chest constrict slightly with eagerness. She wanted to be awake, see his face…hopefully he wouldn't be too pissed at her. She almost didn't care, just to see his face again would brighten everything. No matter how angry he could become at her, seeing him before her and knowing he was hers and only hers made her smile. 

Optimus stared down at the now smiling Mikaela, looking at Ratchet with a raised brow. Ratchet gave a good natured shrug, then moved away from the two. Jazz and Arcee had disappeared, and Ratchet had a feeling as to what they were doing. He shook his head and rolled his eyes, then made his way towards Ironhide and Bumblebee, giving Optimus and Mikaela a moment, even though Mikaela was resting.

Meanwhile, outside in the desert, there were two figures on the ground in the soft moonlight. Their cries were unnoticed by any others, heard only to themselves. Metallic fingers caressed delicate wiring as Jazz and Arcee melted into one another for the first time in years.

* * *

_A/N: Personally…I don't care if Jazz and Arcee never even met in any TF universe- they were/are honeys in my world! Yesssss. This chapter is choppy and...ick. I don't like it._


	26. Chapter 26

Yes this is a new chapter. As I stated before, I did some chapter combining for the sake of this fic getting waaaay to long. Chapters 1 and 2 were combined, and I believe 10 and 11 were as well. Not too sure now. It was a while ago I did it. Either way, yes this ones new, and so were the last...three I think. Enjoy!!

song from 311

* * *

Mikaela sat up with a gasp, gripping Optimus' finger. He stared down at her, startled at her tight grip.

"Optimus…" She stared up at him, his blue optics staring into her own, waiting patiently for her. She ran her tongue across her lips. "Someone is hurt. We…we need Ratchet. We need to go help." Optimus frowned.

"Hurt? Who is hurt? We are all here…" He said, glancing around, although he didn't see Arcee and Jazz. "Arcee? Jazz?" He spoke quickly, fearing for Jazz who had so recently been brought back. Mikaela shook her head, and Optimus sighed inwardly with relief.

"Whoever it is, they are not far from here. In the mountains. The signal is garbled, it took me a while to get the coordinates…" She stopped, glancing around. "Didn't anyone else receive it?" Optimus shook his head slowly.

"No, Mikaela. It has been very quiet for some time now." Mikaela swallowed, that didn't really seem like a good sign.

"Optimus, something is wrong. I can feel it. I can sense something." She shook her head, beginning to tremble. "I can _feel_…feel others." She shivered. "There are Decepticons on the move, Optimus." She looked up at him, her small hands wrapping around his finger. "Please believe me. I…can't explain to you this feeling. We have to go help the harmed one. I think it could make all the difference in the world." Optimus didn't hesitate. He beckoned Ratchet over, explaining in soft tones what Mikaela had said.

"We have to go now, Ratchet. Mikaela has picked up a distress signal." Optimus watched Ratchet's surprised reaction.

"Another autobot?" Ratchet said briskly, covering his initial surprise with his natural business formality. Mikaela shrugged apologetically.

"I really don't know Ratchet. All I can tell you is that I received a very…desperate message. It wasn't even words, Ratchet, it was just snippets of a song. Ratchet, whoever it was…they are begging me to save them. We have to help."

"I don't like this." Ratchet said hesitantly. "I don't like going into the unknown. It could be a trap." Mikaela shook her head.

"I don't think so. Oh, _God_…" She gave a groan and pressed her hands to her head as the signal pounded into her again, the music reverberating through her skull.

_…Somebody save me  
Please don't erase me…_

"Are you all right?" Ratchet asked urgently as Optimus stared at her in concern. Mikaela shook her head clear, and nodded.

"We need to go. They are dying." Ratchet nodded, stalking briskly for the door. Mikaela paused only momentarily to quickly scrub her face, use the bathroom, and pull on old jeans and a faded oversized, gray sweatshirt. Tossing her old clothes into the trash, she ran after Ratchet and Optimus, who waited by the door. Arcee and Ratchet were walking back, hand in hand and looked at the trio quizzically.

"What's going on?" Arcee questioned, staring at Mikaela. "Good to see you all better." Mikaela gave Arcee a grin, and reached out and patted her foot.

"Thanks, Arcee." She smiled up at her guardian, who reached down and gave her a very awkward but meaningful hug. Mikaela squeezed Arcee's finger with her hand, then turned her attention to Optimus and Ratchet.

"Mikaela's picked up a distress signal. The three of us are going to go check it out." Ratchet said, walking swiftly by Arcee.

"Want me to go?" Arcee asked, glancing down at Mikaela. Mikaela opened her mouth to speak, but Ratchet beat her to it.

"No, thank you Arcee. The fewer of us, the harder it will be to detect us. Something isn't right about this. It could be a trap." Mikaela was shaking her head, which Ratchet chose to ignore.

"Not a trap." Mikaela murmured. She wasn't sure how she knew it, but she did. She just _knew_.

"I'll go, Optimus." Jazz volunteered, but again, Ratchet shook his head. Mikaela was beginning to get impatient with this, and finally spoke up. They were wasting time.

"The longer we stand here talking, the less time the wounded 'bot has to survive. We must hurry. If they want to come Ratchet, let them." Mikaela said, taking charge. "Optimus, if you can transform please, I will ride with you. Arcee, Jazz, if you two are going, change and let's head out." Mikaela said, turning to stare at Optimus while he gawked at her, slack jawed. Was she…ordering him? Optimus had to admit he actually kind of liked it. Giving her a nod he changed before her eyes, and she climbed in and shut the door. She was ever careful not to slam it; she knew he hated that. Optimus sped off, leaving the others to slap their jaws shut, transform, and follow suit.

Mikaela peeked in the rearview mirror, and was pleased to see the others behind them. Ratchet followed at a safe distance, and she could see Arcee and Jazz side by side, swerving back and forth with one another. Mikaela grinned. They were…_playing_. It made her smile to see that. Everyone had been through so much. Those two deserved a little bit of happiness, a brief reprieve from all the devastation and destruction that had been going on.

"I'm sorry, Optimus." Mikaela said after they had driven a while in silence. She heard Optimus' engine rumble beneath her in what sounded like laughter. She lifted a brow, and waited for his response.

"For what?" His reply sounded amused, but concerned at the same time. It warmed her to know he was concerned. It made her happy.

"Well...mainly just the one thing…running off and not telling you. I know it made you mad." She said, feeling ashamed of herself. "I just didn't know if it would work, you know? I didn't want to get everyone's hopes up just to dash them. I was hoping you would understand…but I knew you would be awfully angry when I left. I think I'm right on that. You were mad, weren't you?"

"Yes. I was." His reply was simple and honest, but it still hurt.

"I'm sorry." She looked down at her hands, feeling immeasurably guilty.

"But I understand, Mikaela. There is a difference in being mad just to be mad, and being angry because you care and are concerned for someone."

"I'm still sorry."

"Please do not apologize. You are free, Mikaela, and may do what you wish. I would only _request, _never _require_ that you inform me when you…run off. I would never force you to tell me, but I would appreciate it. I only wish to protect you, Mikaela, not smother you. I do not control you or your actions in any way." Mikaela lifted a brow, then gently ran her hands across the dash. She was tired of feeling scared, uptight, and worried. She smiled to herself, then spoke out loud to Optimus.

"I don't think it would bother me if you…smothered me." She said slyly, trailing her fingers down the side of the door. She felt Optimus shudder underneath her, and she gave a soft laugh.

"You are teasing me." Optimus' voice echoed throughout the cab, and she couldn't help but laugh.

"Only a little." She was smiling, and she leaned her head back against the seat, fingers splayed on the leather seat beneath her, touching, caressing it.

"That is not fair, Mikaela." He said disapprovingly. She was driving him insane, making him literally ache for her.

"Life isn't fair." She shot back, choking back a chuckle. She gave a little gasp as she felt an electric pulse come from under her seat, sending waves through her body, causing her back to arch slightly and a small whimper to escape her lips.

"Very true." Optimus replied innocently.

"Now you are not playing fair, Optimus Prime." Mikaela said, trying to sound serious. In reality, she was still reeling from the…pulse he had given her. She heard him chuckle, then she inhaled deeply as he did it again, this time with more energy. She cried out this time, as opposed to the whimper from before. Optimus was trying not to shake from the intensity.

"H-how are you doing that?" She gasped, gripping the armrest in the middle console.

"It's a secret." He said, doing his best to refrain from stopping and simply merging with her right then and there. It was hard to do. It was taking all the power within him to keep driving. Every ounce of pure pleasure he sent to her ricocheted straight back to him because of the bond. What she felt, he felt, and vice versa. She simply laughed at him, then leaned her head back, trying not to think of everything that happened in the past few hours. She smiled as Optimus' radio clicked on, which faded as she heard the music. She knew he was telling her something with it, and it made her heart twist with pure emotion. It was in no way a bad feeling, but she felt the twist all the same.

_Whenever I'm alone with you  
You make me feel like I am home again  
Whenever I'm alone with you  
You make me feel like I am whole again…_

"Please know I feel the same as you." She spoke in soft tones to the steering wheel, knowing he could hear her. In response, the chorus swelled, filling up the vehicle.

_However far away, I will always love you  
However long I stay, I will always love you  
Whatever words I say, I will always love you  
I will always love you…_

"And I will always love you…" She whispered back to him. "I swear it."


	27. Chapter 27

Barricade was in and out of stasis, barely hanging on to life. It had taken his last ounce of strength to send the message, and he clung to the hope that it had been picked up. He seriously doubted it, but it didn't matter. Nothing really mattered anymore. His cause was a lost one. He had always followed Megatron loyally, and without question. Then, that night he hadn't hesitated to fire on his fellow Decepticons. What was wrong with him? He was unsure; he could feel his loyalties wavering. Was a reign of chaos really worth everything? He knew now that it really wasn't, the fact that he was hovering on the brink of life and death, he desperately wanted to live. How many had he kept in that limbo of life and death, only to take all their hope away by ripping their spark out? He didn't want to think about it. He couldn't think about anything anymore. He almost hoped his message wasn't picked up, so he could die alone, and in pain, like he deserved. By no means, however, would he ever turn Autobot, he had opposed them too long…but he would no longer consider himself Decepticon. Just as Autobot's had suffered losses, Barricade had also suffered losses from the war. All of his friends were gone. He remembered before the war, when everything was peaceful, and normal. He had had friends. They were never as ambitious as he was; they never lusted for power like he had. They simply shook their heads and humored him, but remained friends with him all the same. A pain shot through his spark as he remembered their deaths; one by one the Autobots had picked them off in the duration of the war. It was his fault, really. He had talked all but one into joining with the Decepticons; saying that there was no way the Decepticons would ever lose. They were too powerful, too strong for the Autobots to stand a chance. Barricade had been proven horribly, horribly wrong. He thought back to the one, the one had been his best friend, the one he confided everything too. The one he couldn't convince. His hopes, wishes, dreams, and ambitions, his one friend knew it all. But that was a long, long time ago. Things were different now. They were on opposing sides now, and they wouldn't hesitate to kill each other. Or…would they? Barricade wasn't sure. He wasn't sure of anything anymore. All he was sure of right now was pain. He regretted the attack he and Starscream had made initially against the Autobot's, before the confrontation in the warehouse. Starscream's shot that first night had nearly killed Mikaela, she was only alive after that night because he had seen Optimus knock her out of the way, and Arcee take several life-threatening hits. The next time they had met, Starscream had nearly succeeded again in his plan to kill the girl. He gave a low growl at the thought of Starscream. Traitorous little bastard. Although, then again…wasn't that what he was now? A traitor? He had, after all, fired on his own superior, Shockwave, taking him out. Although that didn't really matter now, seeing as he was back.

He could feel his body trying to make repairs, but it wasn't really working. The damage was beyond anything he himself could fix. All he could really do was wait, wait for help the he doubted would come. He tried one more time, feebly sending out signal after signal, using precious energy to the one he hoped would respond.

"We are almost there." Mikaela said quietly to Optimus. "It's in the foothills, at the bottom of that mountain." Optimus responded by following her directions, leading the way for the others behind him.

"I don't think we are in any danger." She spoke again, staring out the window as they drove along the old mountain road. The road was winding, twisting and turned ever five seconds. Mikaela was beginning to feel slightly sick, but she held her own and continued to look out the window, hoping to catch a glimpse of the wounded 'bot. "Not far now." She said, pressing her hands to the window, ignoring Optimus' audible groan of annoyance. She stared hard into the brush, waiting and watching.

"Stop!" Mikaela cried out just as Optimus had swung around another curve. Optimus slammed on his brakes, tires screeching to a halt. Mikaela could hear Ratchet, Arcee and Jazz stopping in the same way Optimus had. Mikaela jumped out of the cab, and took off running. She could hear the signal again, this time it was different. More urgent. It cut off almost as quickly as it had begun, this time in the middle of the transmission.

… _Someone save me if you will-…_

"_We don't have a lot of time…_" Mikaela thought as she ran, ignoring the branches that scratched at her skin and her clothing. She finally stumbled into a clearing, nearly stumbling over the wounded Barricade. She caught herself on a nearby tree, staring down at him in total astonishment.

"Oh, my _God_!" She gasped, reeling herself in. It was _Barricade_? She let go of the tree, and she let go of all of her reservations. He was hurt, and he had pleaded for help. She sank to her knees next to Barricade, and dove into repairs. She ignored the shouts of the other Autobot's as they trampled through the woods, searching for her. She ignored the gasps from the others and the harsh commands from Optimus. She ignored the admonitions of Jazz and Arcee. All she knew was that if she didn't help him immediately, he was going to die. She waved a hand in the air, signaling to Ratchet. She knew how to repair the 'bots from her forced repair of Megatron. Unbeknownst to Shockwave, forcing her to do that horrible deed had rather backfired on him. She was now getting skilled at repairing 'bots, something she doubted Shockwave had intended. She saw Ratchet coming up in her peripheral vision, sinking to his knees beside her.

"Mikaela, I cannot..._will_ not repair a Decepticon so he can kill us when he wakes up!" Ratchet said forcefully to her, grabbing her by the sweatshirt and giving her a soft shake. Mikaela stared up at Ratchet harshly.

"That isn't the point. The point is that you are a medical officer, and there is a wounded soldier before you pleading for help, and you are refusing it." Mikaela said, her voice dangerously quiet.

"Mikaela, I just cannot do it in good faith, when he wakes up, he will shoot at us. You know this."

"Ratchet, fine. But if you aren't going to help, get the _fuck_ out of my way." Mikaela said, her voice harsh and unfamiliar, her eyes turning away from Ratchet, hands reaching towards Barricade's spark casing. Ratchet heaved a sigh, and reluctantly fired up his laser.

"Where shall we start?" He asked quietly, and Mikaela looked at him with pride.

"His spark casing. It's nearly been torn out. It's only being held by one small delicate wire. If we screw this up, he dies." Mikaela said, focusing all of her concentration on keeping her hands steady.

"Right." Ratchet began to whisper detailed instructions to Mikaela, pointing her in the right direction when she made a rare error. Ratchet and Mikaela worked in silence, not speaking to each other unless necessary. All of their focus was on the dying Decepticon in front of them.

Optimus was furious. She had run off again. He couldn't drive off the path, his frame was too large, so he had followed after her once he had transformed. His feet left large holes in the ground where they hit, and he knocked a few trees over in the process of following her, but he had finally caught up to her as she was dropping down next to the incapacitated Decepticon.

"Mikaela, NO." Optimus had shouted, commanding her to stop. She hadn't even acknowledged he had spoken, and he was on the verge of going over there and plucking her out of the situation when Arcee had run up next to him, grabbing onto his arm as he took the first step towards Mikaela.

"Optimus, wait." Arcee said, watching the scene before her. She watched Mikaela snap at Ratchet, who in turned began to help her.

"How often have you known her to be wrong about something?" Arcee questioned. Optimus said nothing, his rage threatening to spill over if he spoke. Arcee took his silence as encouragement to continue, her hand not releasing his arm.

"She's not wrong, not often. She helped Bumblebee kill Devastator, she helped Sam keep the glasses safe, she helped you kill Megatron, she saved Bumblebee, she brought Jazz back. How many examples do you need, Optimus? If she thinks that repairing the…Decepticon will be beneficial, then let her do it. Do not be angry with her for her choices. There are many of us, and one of him. Ratchet will not let her enable his weapons." Arcee spoke calmly and rationally to Optimus, and he could feel his anger fading. Air rushed into his intake as he gave a sigh, then turned to face Arcee.

"You are right, as usual." Optimus said, watching Mikaela and Ratchet repair the destroyed Decepticon.

"Besides." Arcee grinned, folding her hands, guns appearing. "You've got me."

"And me." Jazz said as he came up from behind Arcee, wrapping a silver arm around her fuchsia waist, his free hand clicking like Arcee's and his weapon appeared as well. Optimus gave them a small smile and nodded.

"I trust her. I should have to begin with." Optimus said, staring at the scene before him. "I just worry about her. She must be protected at all costs." The other two nodded silently, agreeing with him. Arcee had filled Jazz in with what had happened between the battle with Megatron and the current situation. Jazz had been shocked by a lot of what she told him, but he had easily accepted it all, and went with the flow. If Optimus said Mikaela was to be protected, so be it.

Mikaela was leaning over Barricade, her loose hair brushing against his face as she connected the necessary wires. Every now and then she thought she felt the Decepticon shudder and move, and every time it scared her, but she kept working. Barricade would not have sent her the message unless he severely needed help. And he had saved her life multiple times that night. She owed him one.

"Ratchet…how much longer?" She asked, rubbing an arm across her face. Ratchet looked at her, then to Barricade.

"It should not be too much longer. We have made a lot of progress in the last hour." He said, pleased with himself even though it was a Decepticon and not an Autobot he was repairing.

"Great…" Mikaela said, encouraged. She leaned back over Barricade, her hair tickling his face. This time she was sure she felt him move, as did Ratchet. She felt Ratchet's hand wrap around her waist as he jerked her back right as Barricade reached up for her. She stared in awe as Barricade's newly attached red optics flared as he came out of his stasis. He looked at her, then to the other Autobot's in the area. He gave a low groan and dropped his hand, as he saw the others. Metal lids closed over his eyes as he emitted a mechanical whine.

"Spark…hurts." Barricade said, his voice low and gravelly. His eyes opened again and he stared at Ratchet. He hadn't thought others would come. He hadn't sent the message to anyone else. He should have expected it. They wouldn't let the girl go anywhere alone, not after last time. Barricade himself had taken her. He suddenly hated himself more than he ever had, and his eyelids closed. Mikaela jumped as she heard music in her head, something different than before. She pressed her hands to her ears. She was never going to get used to the…_connection_ she had with the other 'bots.

…what ever happened to the young man's heart  
Swallowed by pain, as he slowly fell apart…

Mikaela shuddered, then looked at Ratchet.

"We have to finish. I think he's still in danger. I keep getting clips of broken messages from him, and it feels like the signal is getting weaker and weaker." Ratchet and Mikaela exchanged a silent glance, and as Ratchet set her down again they began to work faster. After a few hours, Mikaela leaned back, her hands dirty and greasy from the work.

"Time is short. I don't feel like we are making a lot of progress." Mikaela said miserably. She surveyed what they had done, Barricade's jaw had been reattached, the extremities that had been torn off were attached, but most of the damage was in his casing. There was the fact it had been ripped out, but the area around the casing was damaged as well. They had been working intently for the past hour on the case, but Mikaela could see that Barricade was suffering. Every now and then he would let out a high-pitched shriek, a cry that echoed through the valley. Every time he did it Mikaela winced, she knew he was in unbelievable pain. She gave a sigh, rubbed her face and dove back into the work with Ratchet. She cringed as Barricade screamed again.

"I'm sorry…." She whispered apologetically, absently reaching a hand up to give his cheek a pat. Barricade quieted after that, and she tried to smile at the huge Decepticon. It was too bad he was coherent throughout the repairs, she was sure he was in much more pain than he needed to be. Ratchet drew back and frowned, then voiced her own thoughts.

"He isn't letting himself go into stasis. It's like he wants to be conscious for all of this." Ratchet shook his head. "It is unnecessary for him to be awake." Mikaela glanced at Ratchet as he was speaking, then to Barricade's brightly glowing red eyes.

"Go into your stasis Barricade. You don't need to be in this pain." She said firmly, giving the huge 'bot a tap on the arm. She saw Barricade give his head the slightest shake.

"N-n-n-n-no…" She felt Barricade heave under her, and she saw his eyes close and his face screw up in pain.

"Stop, Barricade. You are only hurting yourself if you don't do it."

"I know." It was the most coherent thing that had come out of his mouth so far, which surprised Mikaela. "D-d-d-d-deserved…" Barricade's words were rough and harsh, and his voice capacitors were straining to communicate. Mikaela gave a side look to Ratchet, who was staring at the Decepticon with an unreadable expression on his face.

"P-p-p-pain…" Barricade stuttered, an arm reaching up to clutch his chest near where Mikaela sat.

"Then let us fix it." Mikaela said, reach towards the spark. Barricade's hand fell limply to the ground with a crash, and Mikaela and Ratchet continued on with their work, taking no breaks to rest, and refusing to stop again, even when Barricade's howls threatened to deafen them both.

It was a long time coming, but finally as the sun was starting to show over the peaks of the mountains, Mikaela and Ratchet fell back, exhausted. Barricade's repairs were finished.


	28. Chapter 28

All the while Barricade was being repaired, he was conscious. He kept it like that on purpose. He at least liked to feel the pain, to know he was still alive. And he had begun to feel immeasurably guilty. He didn't know why, he knew he was still a Decepticon at heart, though he would never again call himself that. He would just as soon blast any of them to bits and he fully expected them to do the same. Although something in him stopped at that thought. Would he really fire on them? He wasn't sure anymore. He didn't know anything anymore. He did know one thing for certain- he would never fire on Mikaela.

As Mikaela and Ratchet worked on him, he experienced quite a bit of pain, proven by his shrieks and howls. Electrical shocks ravaged his body, and caused his internal processors to nearly overload. He refused the stasis, keeping himself conscious for all of it. He wanted to see and feel everything. The seconds turned to minutes, which turned to hours. He groaned aloud as Ratchet hit a particularly deep gash on his side. Ratchet wasn't as careful as the girl was, and Ratchet's repairs were far more painful than Mikaela's. The pain Barricade was in was unbelievable, but it was slowly starting to fade as Ratchet and Mikaela made progress.

It seemed like forever until Barricade could feel that he was repaired, although he was still rather weak. His internal processor was overloaded at the fact that the Autobot medic had helped repair him. Actually, it blew his mind that anyone had come to help him at all. He supposed his message was cryptic enough to draw attention, and curiosity. He gave a massive growl, and he managed to roll himself over to look at the Autobot and small human that had repaired him. He pulled himself into a sitting position, and slowly stood, surveying his situation. He tried to activate his weapons, just in case, but he found they had been disabled. He glared at Ratchet as he realized this, but Ratchet just started at him impassively. Red optic's flickered to the others faces, registering who all was there. He met Jazz's gave and gave a start. Jazz sneered at him, and folded his arms.

"Takes more than Megatron to keep me down, Decepticon." Jazz spat, hatred clouding his face. Millennia of hatred had festered in them all, and all Autobot's stared at him with pure hatred; the only one who had a neutral stare was Optimus. Even the small human girl looked terrified of him. Barricade wondered idly how Jazz had been repaired, but he didn't say anything about it. Now was not the time for questions, at least not from him. He realized he was in a very precarious position, surrounded by Autobot's. Of course, they didn't realize they were almost directly beneath the Decepticon hideout. Barricade gave a nod to Jazz, who gave a disgusted grunt and turned to Arcee. Barricade was relatively surprised to see her there. He knew she had not been part of the attack before, during the battle for the Allspark. His eyes met hers, and she coldly turned away, choosing not to speak to him. He knew why the shunned him. The same reason he would have reacted had the positions been reversed. They had all seen friends and loved ones killed. Barricade was no exception, he had killed time and time again without thought, ripping sparks and vital circuitry out and tossing them aside like garbage. At the same time, He had seen his friends taken down, one by one by different Autobot's over the years. In actuality, how different were they?

"D-do you feel…better?" Mikaela asked hesitantly, taking a shaking step towards Barricade. He didn't blame her for being afraid, the last time they had contact was when he was trying to get the glasses from Sam, and he had nearly killed the boy in the process. Barricade couldn't deny he wasn't still tempted. Something about that boy irritated him. He watched her carefully, weighing his response. He knew she thought of him as a monster, and he didn't really want to scare her. The others, he didn't care so much about. This one, however…the human he did, though he loathed himself to admit it.

"Yes." Deciding a simple one-word answer would be best, Barricade answered her honestly. He watched her curiously as she stepped closer towards him. She was staring up at him with a mixture of terror and curiosity, and he found this mildly amusing.

"Who did this to you?" Optimus asked, moving to stand in front of Barricade. Barricade stared at him, red optics flickering in the early morning hours. Barricade thought about his answer.

"Megatron." Yes, one-word answers were defiantly best. They would keep him alive, for the moment. Although he didn't think he was in much danger, not yet anyway.

"Why?" Ratchet asked, folding his arms and staring Barricade down with a strange look on his face. Barricade really didn't feel like discussing this with them, although he didn't have a whole lot of options, seeing as enemies surrounded him.

"B-barricade?" Mikaela ventured, his silence disturbing her. "Can…can you tell us why?" Barricade gave a low growl, which made the girl jump and step back. The next five seconds happened so fast no one knew what happened until their minds cleared. Barricade snatched for Mikaela, grabbing her up in a large, black hand. Optimus had anticipated something on Barricades part, and was prepared for it. The same instant Barricade picked up Mikaela; Optimus had his weapon out, and pressed against Barricades chest. Arcee, who was standing near Jazz, had seen a problem quickly arising as well, and had tumbled forward, guns extracting and unfolding from her hands, aimed directly at Barricade. Ratchet and Jazz had both followed suit, and Barricade quickly found himself surrounded by four Autobot's with guns. Optimus had him pinned against a tree, his arms spread wide, showing he meant no harm. Yet. Mikaela was gripped tightly in one of his hands, but she didn't struggle. She just glanced at him thoughtfully, then looked at Optimus.

"Let him go." She said slowly. She was nervous, but not as terrified as she had been before. Something was different about the Decepticon. She could sense it, just as she had sensed it wasn't a trap. Optimus looked at her for a moment, staring hard into her eyes. She gave him a nod, and he released Barricade, who slumped against the tree, his grip on Mikaela still tight. She gave a shiver, hoping that she knew what she was doing. Twisting herself to stare into Barricades eyes, she waited patiently for him to speak.

"You wish to know why Megatron nearly destroyed me?" Barricade asked quietly, speaking only to Mikaela, ignoring the others. She gave a shaky nod, hands curling over the big black fingers.

"Because I betrayed him." Barricade said, his free hand tightening into a fist. "Because…of you." Mikaela swallowed, trying desperately to get the terrified lump from her throat. She heard Optimus behind her, bristling. She pleaded silently to him to stay quiet, let her get whatever she could out of Barricade.

"Me…?" She questioned, hands tightening on the black finger. In response to her question, Barricade unfolded his hand, allowing her to sit in it, instead of holding her in a vice-like grip. Barricade gave a slow nod, ignoring the others behind her.

"Yes. I killed his most trusted soldier, Shockwave. At the time, I believe it saved your life." He stated, still speaking in low tones. He lifted her inches from his terrifying face. "He was on his way to destroy you and Ratchet while he was attempting to heal you." Barricade grimaced in remembrance.

"So…you saved me yet again." Mikaela murmured, staring into his eyes. "Why?" She asked, rubbing her forehead, trying to wrap her mind around it. Barricade stayed silent for a moment.

"I do not know." Barricade answered honestly.

"What do you mean, yet again?" Optimus cut in, he couldn't stand it any more. He wanted desperately to pick Mikaela up off of Barricade's hand, a hand that would have easily crushed her a few months ago, and without remorse. Mikaela herself turned to look at Optimus, her eyes glistening.

"That night…before you arrived, he saved my life numerous times."

"Why would you do that, Decepticon?" Arcee snarled, confused as to everything that was going on. Her guns hadn't moved like Optimus' had, she didn't trust Barricade. Barricade growled at her in response, tensing himself to lunge at her. The only thing that stopped him was Mikaela's hand tightening on one of his fingers.

"What difference does it make, she's still standing isn't she?" He growled back at her, his other hand shaking a first in Arcee's direction.

"Barricade…" Mikaela murmured, this didn't seem to be going well. They all still hated each other, and she was getting a knotted, twisting feeling in the pit of her stomach. Barricade stopped, and looked at her.

"You are one of the most courageous beings I have ever encountered. You denied us what we wanted, even when there was a gun pressed to your head. You were shot at to save your leader, and you were nearly killed in the process. That, fleshling, deserves respect." Barricade said, sounding almost pleasant. His tone was totally different when he spoke to her. It wasn't the normal, hate filled voice that he used when speaking to the Autobots. It was still harsh and guttural, but it wasn't full of anger.

"Thank you, Barricade…" Mikaela said softly, feeling slightly embarrassed. She had only done what she knew the others would have done…They all jumped as a jet flew overhead, the noise nearly deafening. The jet was flying too low to be a regular one.

"Starscream." Barricade said in disgust. "Get out of here, before he realizes you are here." Barricade said to Mikaela. Placing her on the ground, he started to change. He knew he had no weapons, and he wanted to get out of there as soon as possible. He wouldn't be able to defend himself if the Decepticons decided to finish the job.

"Starscream?" Mikaela asked sharply, watching the jet fly by.

"The Decepticon base is right above us, on the mountain." Barricade said impatiently, swinging his door open for her. Mikaela looked at the car door, then glanced to Optimus, who was waiting behind her. Optimus gave her a nod, and she grabbed her head as a message shot through her mind.

"_He is beginning to trust you. Go with him. We will surround you so he cannot take off with you in the car_." Mikaela's head was aching. Never ever would she be able to get used to the idea of email in her head. She jumped into the police car, the door slamming behind her. Tires squealed as the police car peeled out behind the others, following the path Optimus had made to the main road when he had been following Mikaela.

Optimus really had no choice other than to lead Barricade with Mikaela inside of him back to the Autobot base.


	29. Chapter 29

If you haven't noticed by now, I love to put my characters through a whole lot of bullshit, angst, and pain. Keep in mind- this probably isn't going to end well for everyone involved. a/n for miss silverstreak

* * *

Mikaela was scared to death. She wasn't showing it though; only her gut instincts to stay calm were keeping her from freaking out completely. She sat stiffly in the cop car. She remembered the last time she had been in it. She had been in the back seat, staring through bars, and Frenzy had been there. She wondered idly where Frenzy was, she hadn't seen him since she accidentally uncovered him from the rubble at the warehouse. Mikaela was nervously chewing her lip, staring into the rearview mirror at Optimus when Barricade finally spoke to her.

"Why are you nervous?" He sounded genuinely concerned, and a tad curious. She was still shocked that she had voluntarily gotten in the car…the Decepticon. She couldn't believe he was asking her why she was nervous. She had to inhale deeply to keep from loosing it completely.

"Well…the last time I was in this…car I was stuffed unceremoniously into the back seat and held hostage, then forced to repair the one of the scariest damn robots ever to grace this planet." Mikaela said quietly, holding her fear in check.

"I see." Barricade said, keeping up directly behind Ratchet. Arcee and Jazz were on either side of the cop car, and Optimus was behind. Mikaela looked out the window at Arcee, and Arcee's hologram gave her an encouraging smile. Mikaela tried to return the smile, but found she couldn't.

"Do you?" Mikaela questioned, her voice borderline hysterical.

"Do not fear, little human. I will not harm you." He replied tensely. Mikaela swallowed, but nodded.

"I know." Her answer was short as she tried to keep her terror from bubbling over.

"How are you so sure?" Barricade asked swiftly as he drove. He didn't bother to create a hologram, and Mikaela shivered as the wheel moved of it's own accord every now and then. It never bothered her when Optimus did it, but watching Barricade do it with her in the car was a completely different story.

"I really don't know." Mikaela said, her voice shaking. "But it doesn't keep me from being completely terrified of you." She thought she felt Barricade give a sigh, but she didn't say anything.

"Understandable."

"Is it, now?" Mikaela asked as she emitted a strangled chuckle.

"Naturally. A few months ago, I wouldn't have hesitated to kill you. Right now, were you not here, I would not hesitate to kill your friends." Barricade said simply, not bothering to hide anything from her. Mikaela let out a strange choking sound, and Barricade laughed.

"I can tell you are regretting getting in the vehicle." Barricade said, his amusement dark and angry, much like his personality.

"A little bit." Mikaela admitted quietly.

"Again, understandable." Barricade drove too fast for Mikaela's taste. The Autobot's were speeding to keep up with him, the formation around him staying tight. "So, human. Where are they leading us?" Mikaela looked out the window, and frowned as she saw familiar landmarks whizzing by. She contemplated telling him, then again why shouldn't she? That's where they were being led, he might as well know.

"I think…I think back to the base." She jumped as Barricade laughed.

"How ironic. The Autobot's lead the enemy right into their home. Interesting." Mikaela glared at the dashboard, knowing that he could probably somehow see her.

"You are going to be watched." She said defiantly, as she pushed the sleeves up on her sweat shirt.

"Oh, I'm counting on it." He said with a merciless chuckle. Mikaela's stomach was wrenching in fear.

"You are going to betray us, aren't you?" Mikaela said, her panic fighting its way to the top. "You are going to tell them where we are, we've walked right into a trap, haven't we?" Mikaela's voice was rising in pitch and volume, and Barricade growled to shut her up.

"No, human. I'm not going to betray you. Them, I would not hesitate as I have already stated, but you are one of them. So no, I will not be 'betraying' anyone." Barricade said impatiently.

"Why, though? What makes me so different from one of them? Any Autobot would have done the same in my position." Mikaela pointed out as she crossed her arms across her chest. Barricade gave a snort.

"That I am not so sure about. Death is something all sentient beings fear, even us. Regardless, it was not one of them in your position. It was you. I respect you, human." And there was something else, something he would never ever admit to anyone. She was really getting under his skin, in a not so bad way, and he didn't like that at all. He wasn't sure he liked…feelings. He was used to killkillkill and that was it. No emotion attached, no remorse or guilt. But with this human, all of those emotions were crashing down on him tenfold and he didn't like it one single bit.

"I think we are getting closer." Mikaela said as she started out the window. Sure enough, she could see the more and more familiar landmarks as they drove. She covered her mouth as she yawned; suddenly realizing she was very tired. And she was hungry. This surprised her, since she was mostly Cybertronian, she hadn't thought she would need to eat. Her eyes kept closing, her body longing for the rest she had been depraved of for so long.

"Sleep, little human." Barricade said softly, his voice almost gentle as he reclined the seat that Mikaela was in. She rested her head against the seat, her mind slowing down as her body prepared to enter stasis. "Get what bit of rest you can." Mikaela murmured her thanks as she drifted off, the Cybertronian stasis slowly taking over her.

While she slept, Barricade to the opportunity to run scans on her. He could feel a high energy emitting from her, especially when she displayed emotion, such as fear. He withheld an exclamation as he saw the diagnostic results. The girl was…not human. Not anymore. This confused Barricade even more. How had this happened? He ran further tests, his scans probing gently into Mikaela's molecular structure without her ever feeling a thing. Her heart was electronically powered, but he could see through his testing that it was glowing an unnatural blue, even for a Cybertronian. He couldn't withhold his gasp as he realized just what was powering her. He quieted as she murmured in her stasis and rolled onto her side. Barricade shut off his scanners, stunned. The Allspark powered her? Impossible. It had been destroyed when that boy had pushed it into Megatron's chest. Maybe not all of it…well, apparently not all of it. Something had happened that night she had almost died, and that something had changed the girl completely. Barricade didn't want to admit it, but he was glad she was alive.

Optimus liked nothing about this situation. Nothing. Mikaela was literally in the clutches of the enemy, and he had let her do it. Not only was she with the enemy, he could tell the enemy had a soft spot for her. This not only pissed Optimus off, but it also made him insanely jealous, a feeling he had never had before. This was also cause for annoyance, and he was already angry enough. Jealousy did not need to be added onto the pile, but there it was, staring him in the face. Therefore Optimus was not in a good mood when he received word from Bumblebee.

"_Optimus, what is your location_?" Bumblebee's voice pierced into Optimus' com link, static crackling.

"_Nearly back_." Optimus' reply was short and irritated, making Bumblebee wonder just was going on.

"_Did she find the wounded_?" Bumblebee asked.

"_Yes_." Optimus was impatient. Bumblebee could tell.

"_All right…See you when you get back_." Optimus cut shut off the link after Bumblebee's reply. He hadn't really meant to be so short with Bumblebee as he hadn't done anything wrong. Optimus was concerned, and he knew he had taken it out on Bumblebee. He drove in silence for a while, before deciding to check on Mikaela.

"_Are you all right_?" Optimus cut into her thoughts, and she jerked awake, causing Barricade to murmur at her.

"Something wrong?" The concern in his voice amazed her.

"No…I'm fine." Mikaela said to Barricade as she shot a message back to Optimus. "_Everything is going well, although it is strange to not be with you. I don't like it._" It _was_ strange, and she was uncomfortable, but it could be worse. It defiantly wasn't like last time, when she had been a prisoner.

"_I don't like it either_." Optimus groused. "_I miss your teasing_." Mikaela choked back a laugh, not wanting to draw Barricades attention.

"_Just wait til we get back to the base…I'll get you alone, and I'll deliver on that teasing, that's promise_." Mikaela sent back with a grin, then closed her com link and shut her eyes again.

Optimus chuckled to himself as he drove behind Barricade. He hoped she would deliver, otherwise, he thought he might go insane from waiting. It felt like forever since the last time they had actually been alone together. He had a feeling it was driving her crazy too, and that thought was slightly comforting. He knew that together they didn't require anything physical, he knew just being in her presence was enough to keep him satisfied. He made a mental note to snatch her aside once they got back to base in case she forgot. He chuckled again to himself as he saw the base in the horizon, the midday sun beating down upon the metal roof.


	30. Chapter 30

Barricade pulled slowly into the Autobot base behind Ratchet, letting a relieved Mikaela out of the car. She shivered as she wrapped her arms around herself. It wasn't cold out, but she couldn't help feeling chilled. Everything had gone by in a blur; she didn't know what to think of all the events that had taken place in the past few days. She was still unable to wrap her mind around Barricade. He frightened and terrified her, especially with his blunt honesty. She watched as Barricade changed, a thoughtful expression on her face. Somehow this huge, brutal killing machine had taken a liking to her. It was certainly an advantage, seeing as he would have easily killed her a few months ago, he had already admitted this. He would readily kill the autobots if possible as well, had she not been there. She peered at him, trying desperately to figure out this complex creature. His head swiveled towards her, catching her staring at him. Their eyes met, and Mikaela shivered again. Tearing her eyes away from his red optics, she looked up into the face of Optimus. He knelt beside her, speaking quietly.

"I am proud of you." His voice was low enough so that only she would hear it, and her cheeks flushed.

"Why?" She asked, feeling stupid.

"Not many would have willingly gone alone with a Decepticon, Autobot escort or not." Optimus said, his face darkening. Mikaela reached up to grasp one of Optimus' large fingers.

"We have to get him to trust us. He is a key essential in defeating the Decepticons." Mikaela said urgently, hands tightening around Optimus' finger. Optimus gave a nod, then stood up and walked towards the door. Mikaela's glance wandered to Barricade again, and she could tell he was testing his weapons systems again by the irritated look on his face. Ratchet had made sure they were fully disabled, without the possibility of Barricade repairing them. Mikaela had reluctantly agreed to this, since they didn't seem to be in any immediate danger at the time. She didn't think it was right to leave Barricade completely defenseless, but she wasn't in control of that.

Optimus opened the door to the base, stepping in first. He saw everyone all stand at once, they were eager for news. He had no doubt that Bumblebee had reported his short answer, and the others were curious as to what had happened, and who the wounded 'bot was. Optimus gave them all a grim stare, and moved to the side, thrusting Barricade into view. The reaction was instantaneous. Immediately all of the Autobot's had weapons out, and Sam was shoved roughly back by Bumblebee's foot. Arcee, Jazz, and Ratchet follow Barricade through the door in silence, watching the other's reactions.

"Why is _he_ here?" Ironhide's voice cut sharply through the tense silence.

"He was the one that was sending the signal." Mikaela said, stepping in front of Barricade. "We also now know where the Decepticons are hiding, thanks to him."

"_Him_?" Sam asked sharply, staring at Barricade. Sam still hadn't forgotten about the time Barricade had nearly killed him trying to get the glasses.

"Yes, _him_." Mikaela said, crossing her arms. "Put your guns away, please." She implored the other Autobots, and was relieved when they slowly lowered their weapons. Ironhide hesitated the longest, but finally, after seeing the others, his large cannons retracted. "Thank you." Mikaela said softly, locking eyes with Ironhide, who growled and turned away, but not before giving Mikaela a nod.

"Why were you hurt?" Chromia asked briskly, walking up to Barricade, eyeing him up and down. Barricade sneered at her, refusing to answer. He didn't have to talk to the likes of her. "Who hurt you?" Chromia demanded, getting angry at his silence. Barricade scowled at her, refusing to answer. Mikaela jumped as Ironhide was there in an instant with Barricade pinned against the wall. She didn't know he could move that fast.

"She asked you a question, _Decepticon_." Ironhide hissed, their faces inches apart. Mikaela could sense a storm brewing as she saw Barricade's fists clench by his sides.

She slipped smoothly in between Ironhide and Barricade, pressing a hand on each bot's foot. It seemed like she was the only one who could placate Barricade, therefore she put herself in the middle of the conflict. Seeing the human girl in between them, Barricade's fists unclenched, and Ironhide backed off.

"Barricade." Optimus' voice cut through the room. "It would be beneficial to all of us if you cooperate." His voice was calm and level as he stared at the large Decepticon. Barricade gave a one-shouldered shrug, leaning against the wall.

"What is it, exactly, that you want to know?" Barricade asked shortly, ignoring everyone in the room but Mikaela.

"Who hurt you?" Chromia asked again, although this time it was not as harsh. Barricade stared at her, contemplating his answer. He didn't really want to answer her, but with Optimus and Ironhide, he didn't really dare confront her.

"Megatron." He didn't really want to live through this again, and he gave Mikaela a look. She took the hint and spoke up.

"Megatron did this to Barricade because he gunned down Shockwave, as you two know." She said, nodding to Chromia and Elita at the end of her sentence. The two females nodded in silent agreement with her. "And because he protected me." Mikaela said quietly. Barricade seemed to heave a sigh. Pointing out his soft spot really hadn't been on his agenda. She almost smiled through her twinges of fear. The Autobot's looked at Barricade in surprise.

"You...saved Mikaela?" Sam asked in shock.

"Several times." Barricade said shortly, examining his arms and their lack of weaponry. The others looked at Mikaela for confirmation. She nodded her head slowly, confirming the statement.

"Why? How will it benefit you?" Arcee asked, her voice razor sharp.

"What makes you think it will benefit me?" Barricade asked nastily.

"You are still a Decepticon. You don't just go around saving humans for fun. There has to be something in it for you." Arcee shot back, the same hatred resurfacing.

"Arcee…" Mikaela murmured as she watched Barricade grow angrier.

"Just because your pathetic medic helped to repair me does not mean I have to answer to you." Barricade shouted, slamming his fist on the ground. "I may be still alive due to your mercy but I will _never_ be under your control." Barricade stared at Optimus with such hatred that Mikaela felt sick. This wasn't going well at all. The age-old hate for each other was too thick, there was no way they would be able to cooperate. Her eyes lifted in sadness, and she was surprised to see Bumblebee staring at Barricade with a strange look upon his face. She was even more surprised when he began to speak.

"So much has changed since before the war, do you all not agree?" Bumblebee asked quietly. Everyone in the room turned to face him, including Barricade. Barricade gave a growl as a memory flashed in his mind, memories of Cybertron before the war, before everyone was dead, memory of a young pair of friends who were inseparable until they were recruited to different factions. Mikaela's gaze flickered from Barricade to Bumblebee, eyebrows lifted as she picked up on what the others missed: a friendship that was destroyed by war. Everyone was quiet for a moment, until Optimus spoke up.

"I think that we all need rest." He nodded to Ironhide, who walked over to Optimus as he glared at Barricade.

"We will each keep watch on Barricade." Optimus said quietly, his hand on Ironhide's shoulder. Ironhide nodded in agreement, looking over his shoulder at Barricade.

"I'll go first." Ironhide said, his voice low and gravelly. Optimus gave a nod, then gripped Ironhide's shoulder.

"Do not let him out of your sight. Keep your weapons ready at all times. We don't know what kind of tricks he might pull." Optimus said, knowing full and well that Barricade was one to earn trust, then break it just for fun.

"He will not leave my sight." Ironhide said firmly, pressing his fist to his chest. "I swear it." Optimus smiled at his old friend, then stood up tall.

"Everyone, get some rest. It may be the last time we get any for quite some time." The other nodded, Bumblebee giving Barricade a final look as he headed in the opposite direction. Optimus turned his gaze to a waiting Mikaela and crooked a finger at her.

"You are coming with me."


	31. Chapter 31

Smutty crap…thanks to Darren Hayes for the song…and silverstreak for her cure in writers block! And thank you Ella for being my beta as well. I wuff you all!

* * *

Mikaela smiled at Optimus, and she followed him as he went outside. She shut the door behind him, and turned around to face the now very large semi in front of her. She climbed into the cab, and the door literally slammed behind her.

"I'm sorry…" She said meekly, she knew he hated it when his doors were slammed. She heard a laugh.

"You didn't do it." He said mischievously. Mikaela nearly lost herself in laughter at his tone. She never ever would have thought she would see or hear the casual side of Optimus. She didn't say much as he drove out behind the warehouse, parking far enough away to where they wouldn't be disturbed, but close enough to see in case there was any activity. She reached for the door absently, but was startled to find it locked.

"Is something wrong?" Mikaela asked, an eyebrow lifted as she waited for his answer. She was distinctly aware of the radio playing softly in the background, her eyes widening slightly at the song.

_When moonlight crawls along the street  
Chasing away the summer heat  
Footsteps outside somewhere below  
The world revolves I let it go_

_We build our church above this street  
We practice love between these sheets_

"No. I…have a surprise for you." Optimus said, and Mikaela was delighted to hear that he sounded…_nervous_. She waited patiently for him. The moonlight fell gently across the truck cab, streaming gently through the windows. She blinked, and before her sat the projection again. She frowned; it looked a bit different than last time. It looked more solid, more real. She felt her breath catch in her throat as piercing blue eyes stared into hers through locks of black hair. Mikaela was suddenly nervous as well, and self-conscious. She looked down at herself, the dirty sweatshirt, her grease stained hands. She was a mess. She looked up, and the holo was closer now, ignoring her glances at herself.

"Do you like it?" The hologram asked quietly, reaching for her hands and taking them in his own. They felt warm, solid. Mikaela swallowed and nodded, gripping his hands in her own shaking ones. Her gaze never left his bright blue eyes that seemed to glow in the moonlight. Perhaps they were glowing, in his regular form, his optics glowed blue…her thoughts were cut off as he took her in his arms, albeit awkwardly. She could tell he didn't really know what to do, and that thought comforted her and made her more comfortable.

_The candy sweetness scent of you  
It bathes my skin I'm stained by you  
And all I have to do is hold you  
There's a racing in my heart  
I am barely touching you_

"Can…can you feel me?" She asked, trailing fingers down his muscular arm. The projection gave a nod.

"It's a device built within us called a holomatter generator." He stopped and cleared his throat. "It allows this projection, this avatar, to house my consciousness. It kind of works like-" He was cut off by Mikaela's lips crushing against his own with a greedy passion. He wrapped his arms around her awkwardly and kissed her back, not sure of how to approach it. The broke apart for a moment, Mikaela wearing a soft smile at the flustered look on the projections face.

"More…like this." She reached forward taking his face in her hands and gently planting her lips on his own. It was tender and soft, Optimus' big hands pressing against her back then pulling her on top of him. She gave a muffled laugh as she buried her face in his shoulder as he wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight. He had longed to do that since the moment he met her. To just hold her and feel her hair against his cheek was something magical all in itself, and well, the things she was actually doing to him were something he couldn't even classify. His mind was a blur at the sensations and emotions he felt. Every touch and caress was something new to him. He gave a muffled groan and his hands tightened on her back, causing her to lean back and stare at him intently.

"Did I do something wrong?" She asked anxiously, twisting her hands. He stared at her, trying his hardest not to toss her down and do…something to her. He wasn't sure what. But the holo form he had taken seemed to know what to do. She lifted a brow and smiled. "I guess not." He growled at her, this time really throwing her down on the seat and pinning her hands above her head.

"Someone's learning…" Mikaela murmured against his lips as he brushed them softly against her own.

"I do try, my Mikaela…" He said quietly, releasing her hands and holding himself up to look into her eyes. He scanned her face, every perfect feature that had dazzled him from the first second. The knowledge that she was his and only his twisted inside of him, filling him with an inexplicable feeling of happiness, and of pure, raw attraction. He wanted her right now, in this way. She had already done so much for him; he was determined to repay the favor, even if he had to search the Internet for instructional videos. Which, he realized, he would need to do. He opened his browser, pouring instantly through hundred of sites. Once he was finished, he thought he felt a ringing in his head from all of the information he had learned. Human bonding was so…intimate. He was determined to have her in this way, show her he was hers in every way, not just as a protector, but also a companion and lover. His radio played softly, although for the most part it was ignored since their attention was only on each other.

_Turn the lights down low  
Take it off  
Let me show  
My love for you  
Insatiable  
Turn me on  
Never stop  
Wanna taste every drop  
My love for you  
Insatiable_

"What's wrong?" Mikaela asked, impatient at his pause. She couldn't help it, she had never been more ready for anything in her life, and he was taking entirely too long.

"Nothing." He whispered, stroking the side of her face with a finger. A hand slid teasingly under her shirt, sliding it up and off of her body. She murmured in appreciation as he did so, her fingers flying as she unbuttoned his shirt. They turned into a frenzy of clothes flying and hands grabbing, heavy breathing and gasping echoed throughout the trucks cab. Their hands flew wildly over each other's body, tickling across sensitive spots and daring to explore previously forbidden areas.

_The moonlight plays upon your skin  
A kiss that lingers takes me in  
_

They were both sweaty and naked, Optimus staring down at Mikaela with a strange look on his face. Mikaela propped herself up on her elbows, and met his gaze. He reached out and tenderly wiped a smudge of dirt from her cheek.

_I fall asleep inside of you  
There are no words  
There's only truth_

"Are…are you ok?" Mikaela asked, wondering why in the hell he had stopped, they were so close to becoming one and he was _stopping_?

"Yes." He answered simply, brushing her hair back from her cheek gently.

"Then…then why are we stopping?" She was trying to not scream and shake him, but it was killing her not too.

"Are you sure…?" He asked, looking uneasy. An annoyed look crossed her face and she reached up and jerked him down to where they were face to face.

"Optimus, I swear to everything I hold dear if you do not continue with what you were doing, I will step away from you, take care of this problem myself, and you will NOT be allowed to participate. You will have to suffer as you watch me. Got it?" Optimus gave a growl and responded by taking her right then and there, his hands groping and pleading, her toes curling as she cried aloud. It was no longer awkward, it seemed as though he had read the entire manual in a matter of minutes. He was the perfect lover, giving, receiving, taking everything he could, everything that he was. He threw himself into the act, and she knew that he was enjoying it just as much as she was. She gripped his arms, running her fingers over his muscles, pausing to trace the tattoos that circled his arm. Her back arched and she cried out again, feeling the waves building and building, feeling as though she were about to explode. They were merged together like that for hours, clinging desperately to each other, neither wanting to ever let the other go. Emotions ran wild, as did hands and mouths as they were finally able to express everything they had felt for each other. In the cab of the truck two became one, they were not Mikaela and Optimus; they were one entity that had sprung from two individuals. Neither would be the same again, and neither would regret it.

Release came at the same time for them both, gasps and panting climaxing to cries and moans as both male and female peaked. As they lay there panting, holding each other, neither daring to move for fear the other would disappear, the radio played softly on.

_Breathe in Breathe out  
There is no sound  
We move together up and down_

_We levitate our bodies soar  
Our feet don't even touch the floor  
And nobody knows you like I do  
The world doesn't understand  
But I grow stronger in your hands…_


	32. Chapter 32

Mikaela had been sleeping in Optimus' arms for quite some time. His chin was resting gently on top of her head while his arms encircled her body. Neither had bothered to re-clothe quite yet, as the sensation of being so near and intimate was an experience neither wanted to forget. He hated to move her, but it was getting dark outside, and he knew they would need to get back. 

"Mikaela?" He spoke quietly, waking her up as easily as he could. He rubbed her arms with his hand and she stirred, turned her face towards his chest, nuzzling him.

"No..." She murmured, she didn't want to leave. It was too pleasant, too safe. She knew they needed to get back, but honestly it was the last thing from her mind. She wanted to stay like they were forever, and never move again.

"We need to be getting back." He hated to move her, but he knew they had to be getting back to the base. He had watched out for them as she slept, but they had been away for quite a while and he knew that they needed to go back and check on Barricade. It was night now, and he could see the stars twinkling in the clear night sky above them.

"I guess you're right." Mikaela said, grumbling. She sleepily pulled her clothes back on and watched in dismay as the holo flickered out of existence. She heaved a sigh as the Optimus started moving slowly back towards the base. She suddenly grinned, then concentrated, reaching out towards the dashboard. A flash of blue electrical energy surged through her hand, and into the dash. She heard Optimus rumble in delight, and she couldn't help but laugh.

"Can't go around embarrassing myself again, can I?" She said, crossing her arms. "Last time I announced to everyone just what we had been doing. And it definitely hadn't been sleeping." Optimus had to laugh at this, simply because it was true. He was still laughing as he pulled into the base, letting her out of the car. She stepped out, giving him a mock glare as he continued to laugh. She pushed the huge door open, letting him take it from her as he stooped in behind her. He started to draw attention to them as they neared the others, his laughter echoing off the empty walls.

"Optimus!" Mikaela hissed, smacking his foot. "Knock it off!" Another spark, although weakened, crackled from the contact of her hand meeting his metallic foot. Optimus simply lost it then, and exploded in laughter. Mikaela's face burned bright red, and she pointedly ignored the other chuckling Autobot's except Ironhide, who was simply shaking his head in consternation, although a smile cracked his stiff face. Barricade was the only one who wasn't amused. In fact, he looked downright furious. He managed to keep himself in check, although it looked like he was having a tough inner battle with himself.

Optimus finally calmed himself, then glanced around at the others. They looked like they felt better, at least a little bit anyway. Sam and Bumblebee were still curled in a corner, Sam's loud snores were now the only noise in the base as the laughter finally subsided. Everything was back to business, the Decepticon threat still looming over their heads. The only perk was now they knew where their had set up their head quarters. Optimus turned to Barricade, who was still being guarded by a heavily armed Ironhide.

"Barricade, do you know what they are planning next?" Optimus asked pleasantly, trying to keep things relatively amicable. Barricade only looked at him and laughed darkly.

"You honestly think they told me, the one who took out Shockwave?" Barricade simply chuckled. "No, sorry, Prime, they didn't happen to give me that tidbit."

"Why did you call for help?" Sam asked suddenly, now awake as Bumblebee made his way closer to the others, Sma still in his hand. Barricade stared at Sam in surprise.

"Don't you think you would have?" Barricade said, looking thoroughly annoyed. "I was injured beyond my own repairs. I wasn't going to be picky." Barricade refrained from saying anything else, his temper was going to end up getting the best of him. He had to keep reminding himself that he was here with Autobots that were fully armed and full of hate. He knew they would be happy to shoot him down if he spoke out of line.

"We must decide on a plan of action. Staying here is no longer safe. We are going to have to move our headquarters." Optimus stated, glancing down at Mikaela. "You all know the...importance of our mission." He refrained from saying anything specific in front of Barricade, he didn't want to give the Decepticon any more information that was necessary. Mikaela saw the other Autobots nodding out of the corner of her eyes, but her attention was on Barricade for the moment. He looked defeated, which Mikaela suspected was the case. He was pretty much at the mercy of his enemy, with no weapons, no allies and no friends. While Optimus was speaking to the others, she edged towards Barricade, glancing up at him.

"I..I'm sorry for the way they are treating you." She said quietly, placing a hand on his large black foot. She felt compelled to apologize, be friendly since he had saved her multiple times that night. He stared down at her in surprise.

"I would have it no other way, human." He replied to her, equally quiet. "If one of them had been captured by Decepticons, things would have gone much differently." He said slowly, his memory tracing back to the few Autobots that they had caught.

"How?" She asked, taking a seat next to him. He stared at her, wondering what the hell she wanted. He humored her by answering her questions.

"Torture. Death. Punishment." He paused thoughtfully. "The Decepticons aren't nearly as...merciful as the Autobots." He gestured to the others, aware Arcee was watching them closely. "They have the opportunity to kill me, torture me, do whatever they want, but they do not. Decepticons would not hesitate." Barricade quieted for a moment, taking time to watch Optimus. "The hate is still there human, it will never fade. If the positions were reversed, I wouldn't have hesitated to kill them. This war has consumed us for thousands of years. I do not foresee anything changing that fact."

Mikaela sighed in frustration. She wanted them to get along, they could use another ally. But Barricade was right. The hatred ran too deep, too thick.

"What about a common cause?" She asked hopefully. Barricade just smirked at her.

"For Autobots and Decepticons, there is no common cause, human." His voice send chills down Mikaela's spine. But there was something about the way he kept calling her...'human'. It almost seemed like a pet name for her, every time he spoke and used the word in reference to her, it was done in almost...kindness. This unnerved her, but it gave her cause for hope. If there was hope, then there must be a way.

"Barricade. You know exactly where the Decepticon headquarters are, correct?" Ironhide's voice cut into their conversation. Barricade growled at Ironhide, back to his normal, stubborn and hateful self.

"And if I do?" He snarled at Ironhide, whose guns whirred as they charged and were pointed at Barricades chest.

"Stop it. Both of you." Mikaela cut in angrily. "Ironhide, he's surrounded by Autobot's and he has no weapons. Really, what is he going to do?" She head Barricade snort at this, and she whirled around to face him.

"And you! You are no better! Quite acting like such a grouch and cooperate with us and maybe we can take care of this threat once and for all!" She said angrily. The base was silent, and crickets could be heard chirping just outside the door. Mikaela had not only told off Ironhide, but a Decepticon as well. That took guts. Barricade was silent, staring at Mikaela. Ironhide's jaw was hanging open, his blue optics nearly popping out of his head.

"Now. Barricade. You know the coordinates?" Mikaela asked crisply. He acknowledged her with a nod. She turned to Ironhide. "Yes. He knows. Now, what will you do with this information?" She asked pleasantly, folding her arms and taking her most intimidating stance. It wasn't as threatening as she hoped, she was a real mess. Her hair was in tangles, her grey sweatshirt hanging off of her like a potato sack. But Optimus couldn't help staring at her in total pride. She had grown so much since they first met, and even since she had confessed everything to him weeks ago.

"A surprise attack." Ironhide said, finding his voice. "Something they wont see coming." Optimus nodded in agreement. "Shouldn't be to difficult if we know their location." Ironhide nodded at Barricade. "He probably knows the area well."

"If we could execute that, then all of this could be taken care of with minimum to no injuries." Arcee said, agreeing with Ironhide. Mikaela looked at Optimus, who was watching her with a calm countenence. He gave her a nod, and she turned to Barricade.

"Would you be willing to help us erase the threat?" She asked, staring at his optics as they blinked slowly.

"Depends. What is being threatened?" Barricade asked calmly. "If I am being risked for the sake of you Autobots, or the human population, then no." Mikaela heaved a sigh. He wouldn't help them if they didn't explain. Again, she received a nod from Optimus. He didn't want to Decepticon to know about her, but to win this battle they needed his help.

So, again, Mikaela haltingly explained everything that had happened to her, choosing to trust the Decepticon, hoping beyond hope she was right in doing so. She could see Ratchet shaking his head out of the corner of her eyes, his expression dark. She ignored it, and watched Barricade's eyes grow wider and wider. He had already suspected something was amiss with her, but not this.

"Interesting." That was all Barricade said, and he stared down at her with newfound respect, and a little bit of something else Mikaela couldn't quite place.

"We are in agreement then?" Optimus asked, extending a hand to the Decepticon. Barricade hesitated, then reached a large black hand out, grasping Optimus' large blue one.

"Indeed, we are."


	33. Chapter 33

This took a bit to get out, it was difficult to write and the characters didn't feel like cooperating. It is a bit longer than any of the other chapters so far, and it is more confusing due to the large number of friggin bot's I just -had- to introduce. So...with that in mind, enjoy...

* * *

Mikaela jumped as explosions sounded from somewhere outside the base.

"What was that?" Sam asked nervously, hopping down from Bee's hand.

"They know you are here." Barricade said calmly. "You were probably seen and followed after repairing me."

"Great. So in helping you, we invited a load of Decepticons to our front door." Chromia huffed, giving Barricade a dirty look. He simply glared at her, fists clenching and unclenching in anger.

Another explosion rocked the base, hitting dangerously close, from what Mikaela could tell.

"We must act. Now." Optimus said, then knelt down to Mikaela. "You must stay away from the battle. They don't know about you, and I'd like to keep it that way." He said staring into her eyes, his blue optics blinking slowly. Mikaela was shaking her head.

"No, someone might need me." She said, her voice firm. "_You_ might need me." She added in a hoarse whisper. "If anything happened to you, Optimus…" Her voice trailed off, wincing as the thought passed quickly through her mind. "I can't…I couldn't…" Optimus felt his emotions twist in fear for her. The same thing had crossed his mind about her. Optimus stared at her for a moment, then stood. He couldn't argue with her. Her prowess as a medic and healer was an asset; she was a huge help to Ratchet, who was often overwhelmed.

"Arcee, Ironhide and Jazz, go out the back and round the building to the front. From the sound of the explosions, they obviously know we are in here and are not firing to kill." Pause. "Yet." The three nodded in confirmation, heading towards the back door.

"The rest of you, come with me out the front door. You as well, Barricade." He nodded in Barricade direction, and the Decepticon gave an audible growl. He didn't really want to be seen, especially in the company of the Autobots. He didn't really have a choice, however, and followed them reluctantly out the front door.

Mikaela rubbed her arms absently as she walked out into the cool night air. She gave a shiver as she her eyes fell upon the waiting Decepticons, and she gave a muffled shriek at the resurrected Decepticons, especially Megatron and Shockwave. Neither of the two looked pleased. Megatron was the first to speak.

"Give us the girl." He growled, his voice low and cold. Optimus felt his body freeze, and he pointedly avoided looking at Mikaela.

"Why?" Sam asked from behind the others. He had snuck out behind them, not wanting to be stuck inside, especially since last time they had pretty much blown up the building.

"Just give her to me." Megatron laughed at him. Did they really think he didn't know?

"We know what she is. Hand her over, and we will leave you be. For now," Thunderblast said from behind Megatron. She slipped out from behind him, lazily dragging a hand across Megatron. With a fast click her left arm was formed into a cannon, which she pointed at them. Megatron said nothing, his optics traveling over her metal body.

"I am not something to be 'handed over.'" Mikaela said loudly, drawing the Decepticon's attention. Optimus' head whirled to look at her in anger.

"Ah, there's the lady in question." Thunderblast drawled, her voice slicing through the air like a knife. "Come with us and we wont have to kill your friends." Mikaela ignored her question.

"What do you mean, you know what I am?" Mikaela asked, the fear starting to grip her heart.

"We aren't stupid, human. Do you really think we would just toss Barricade out and leave him to send signals?" Thunderblast laughed.

"The tracking device we placed in him is working perfectly." Shockwave said pleasantly. "As is the transmitter." Mikaela swallowed, what transmitter? Had they heard everything that had been discussed? She was a fool for having told Barricade. Her face was a mess of emotions, and Megatron laughed, knowing her thoughts.

"We heard everything, human. Now come with us and we will have no cause for a battle tonight."

"She's not going anywhere." Optimus said, stepping in front of her.

"Not without a fight." Arcee said firmly, stepping up beside Optimus. The Decepticons looked at them, weighing their chances. There were more Autobots, but the Decepticons were noticeably stronger. The decision was made for them all when Thunderblast fired on Ironhide.

The world exploded then, shells hitting the ground and kicking up tufts of dirt around Mikaela's feet. She was jerked back by an unfamiliar hand as a shell exploded right where she had been standing. She fell backwards as she lost her balance, whipping her head around to see who had jerked her. It had been Barricade again. The question was written all over her face.

"Not now. No time. You MUST enable my weapons." Barricade said urgently. "I will not be able to pro…to fight without them." Mikaela hesitated for only a moment, glancing around at the brawl, then gave a nod. Barricade extended a hand quickly, allowing Mikaela to climb up. Within seconds, Barricade's weapons were activated. He went to let her down, but she grabbed his chest armor, preventing him from setting her down. He lifted a brow at her, red optics boring into her own.

"Don't let me down, okay?" Her voice was almost a plea, begging him to not betray them, to not harm her friends. His optics blinked once, staring at her for a moment. He nodded slowly, then proceeded to set her down.

"Get behind me." Barricade said, cocking his wrists. Mikaela winced as metal scraped metal as Barricade extended his deadly weapons. She dove for cover as a jet roared through the air above them. Starscream. She could see Optimus through the dust; his hands were full with Megatron. She could tell he was worried for her; he kept glancing over his shoulder, looking for her. It was causing him to get repeatedly hit and thrown around by Megatron. She needed to let him see her, let him know she was alive. She took a step forward, only to get knocked to the ground by Barricade.

"I said stay behind me!" He bellowed at her, as he knocked a newly repaired Shortround back with a hit from one of his cannons. Mikaela was staring at the repaired Decepticons in awe. How had they fixed themselves? Her only answer was Starscream; he was the only coward that had escaped the battle the first time. Her thoughts were interrupted as a body flew through the air, landing behind her and Barricade. Upon closer inspection, she discovered it was Chromia.

"_Shit_." Mikaela muttered, and took off like a shot towards her. Ironhide had seen her fly through the air, and he launched himself with an angry roar on her attacker, Shockwave. Mikaela shuddered at Ironhide's anger, and turned to Chromia, who was gasping and clutching an angry gash in her chest armor.

"Are you ok?" Mikaela asked urgently, and was relieved when Chromia nodded.

"Think so. Just…hurts." Chromia said, getting to her feet with a groan. "You'd…think that with all of us…they would be no match." She said with difficulty. Mikaela nodded her agreement, but she was nodding to herself, as Chromia was gone, leaping back into the midst of the battle, fully intent on taking her attacker down.

Bullets rained down like hail, and she dove for cover as Starscream passed overhead again, firing on all of them with a merciless fury. She saw Barricade out of the corner of her eye as he trotted over to her, and knelt down in front of her. He slammed a hand down on the ground, causing her to lose her balance.

"Do not run off." His voice was low, angry, and serious. "Prime cannot protect you while he is dealing with Megatron. None of them can. If you run from me, you're as good as dead. _Stay with me_." The severity of his words shook her, and she nodded in fear.

"Good." He stated, and stood up in front of her again, preparing himself for his task. He knew this was his only use, he wouldn't attack the Autobot's but he refused to defend any of them. Mikaela was the only one he would lay his life for, and he intended to do just that if necessary. With a flick of his wrist, the blades were out once more, begging to be unleashed.

Mikaela winced as Barricade's swinging blades connected with Shortround, who had seemed to reappear out of nowhere. The sound of metal on metal grated on her ears, causing her to cover them as she cowered behind Barricade. She could see Optimus and Megatron, and she gasped audibly as she saw Megatron pick Optimus and heave him heavily to the side. She saw Megatron howl in triumph, as Optimus didn't move. The Decepticon caught Mikaela out of the corner of his eye, and started towards her, only to be tripped by Optimus, who then crawled on top of him as a large metallic fist connected with Megatron's face. Mikaela couldn't watch, she covered her face in fear.

Optimus was having his own difficulties with Megatron. He knew the others would help if he asked, but he would prefer to handle this on his own, it was more of a personal battle between the two. Except it seemed unevenly matched, Megatron was taller, bigger, and stronger. He was tossing Optimus around like he was a toy. Optimus realized Megatron was playing with him, biding his time.

"She'll be mine in the end, Prime." Megatron's deep voice echoed through Optimus' head, and Optimus fought back, enraged. He would never let her fall to Megatron, even if it meant dying in the process. She would never fall victim to any of them.

"She'll never be _yours_." Optimus hissed, grabbing Megatron by the chest and shoving him away. Megatron responded with a growl, leaping back onto Optimus and grabbing him by his armor. No more words were spoken thereafter, the hatred running deep and thick between them. Shots were fired into armor, and punches were thrown as the two fought in close proximity to each other.

Chromia and Ironhide were still doing battle with Shockwave, bullets slamming into all parties involved. Chromia was having a harder time of it due to her injuries, but she seemed to be holding her own against the noticeably larger Decepticon.

Bumblebee had shoved Sam back to a safe distance, and he and Arcee were tackling a revived Lugnutz, who was very angry about being taken offline previously and had no intentions of being taken down again. Lugnutz was also quite angry about Thunderblast being attacked. He was taking this aggression out on Arcee in particular, his bullets zipping through the air and slamming into her armor. One shot in particular sent her flying through the air, only stopping once she slammed into the side of the base.

"_Arcee_!" Mikaela cried out, desperately wanting to go to her, make sure she was all right. Once again, she was stopped short by Barricade, who knocked her down.

"I will tie you down if I must." Barricade said shortly over his shoulder, continuing to fend off Shortround who kept coming back for vengeance against him. Mikaela glared at him, her eyes continually traveling to Arcee. She had to see if Arcee was all right. She was stopped from this effort by a large body landing in front of her. She realized that it was Thunderblast, who got up with an enraged roar.

"Mine!" Thunderblast shrieked as she saw Mikaela standing near Barricade. Thunderblast grabbed at Mikaela, but the girl was too fast. Darting between Thunderblast's legs, Mikaela took off like a shot, dodging bullets and laser strikes alike as they fell from the sky and all around her. Mikaela's legs were going as fast as she could make them go, and she could hear Thunderblast behind her, the heavy robotic feet thudding into the ground. She knew Thunderblast wouldn't shoot at her; it did no good for her to be dead. Mikaela saw Jazz running in front of her and she dove to the ground, sliding on the rough dirt between his legs as he threw himself at Thunderblast. Mikaela stayed on the ground as she saw Elita racing after Jazz, throwing herself into the brawl that had begun directly behind Mikaela. She got to her feet and took off again, this time turning in Arcee's direction.

"Arcee!" Mikaela gasped, skidding to a stop next to the large fuchsia bot. Arcee made no noise or movement, and Mikaela gripped Arcee's finger in terror.

"Oh god..._Arcee_!" Mikaela screamed, grasping Arcee roughly, her fingers prodding the large gaping gash in Arcee's chest. _Please…work_, Mikaela prayed, her breath coming in short, ragged gasps. Blue light pulsed from her fingers and curled gently around the edges of Arcee's wound. She felt Arcee move beneath her touch, and Mikaela cried in relief. Arcee wrapped a hand around Mikaela in a hug, then promptly pushed her aside as she saw Bumblebee sink to his knees. Mikaela fell against the building, her hands in her hair as she watched the mayhem. The normally quiet night was riddled with blasts and explosions. She could see Starscream above them; he hadn't bothered to show his face on the battle below yet. He seemed content to drop bombs on them from above, which Mikaela though was rather cowardly.

Arcee jettisoned herself towards Bumblebee and knocked him aside as she took the hit that was meant to finish him. She growled in pain as the hit from the cannon tore through her side armor, but she managed to ignore it and throw herself at Lugnutz before he could fire on her again. She was heavily intent on taking him down, and he seemed to feel the same way about her.

"Get out of the sky, you coward!" Ratchet's voice soared over the noise, sounding as though it were magnified. He was speaking to Starscream, and Starscream responded by firing on Ratchet. Ratchet deflected the hits with blasts from his own cannons. "Come on, is that all you have?" The medic was trying to get the little coward out of the sky and on the ground, where he could be handled. None of them were flyers, and they would not be able to take him down if he didn't land. Starscream was howling as he drew closer to Ratchet, changing and somersaulting in midair. He landed with a thud and charged at Ratchet, machine guns flying and canons sending blasts that seemed to shake the world.

"Slag it all…" Ratchet muttered as he was hit several times, his own bullets neatly piercing Starscream's armor but doing no real damage. He hadn't been fully prepared for Starscream's might, the Decepticon was large and full of firepower. He gave an inward sigh of relief as he saw Arcee running towards him, Lugnutz in a pile of rubble behind her, her new guns Ratchet had given her blazing in the moonlight.

"_Human_!" She heard Barricade's roar echo in the night, and she winced. She took off running, her breath coming in short gasps. Remembering his words as she ran, she made her way back to Barricade, who seemed to be finishing off Shortround. Shortround had taken a lot of hits; Barricade's deadly spikes had done their job. The harsh blades had ripped gaping wounds throughout Shortround's body, and blue fluid leaked steadily from them all, pooling at Shortround's feet. She could see that his spark casing hung delicately from his chest, having been nearly torn out by Barricade. Shortround seemed to hesitate as he eyed Barricade's fling weaponry. Shortround had taken a step back, intending on retreat when Barricade's angry blades slashed at him again, this time severing the casing from Shortround's body. An explosion of sparks showered Mikaela and Barricade both. Mikaela hit the ground, covering her head with one hand and beating out little flickers of fire that threatened to set her sweatshirt on fire.

"Good job…" Mikaela murmured to Barricade, who said nothing. Mikaela's eyes flickered around, her gaze resting on Optimus and Megatron, who were still at each other's throats. She saw Megatron stagger back, clutching a spot on his chest. She could see Optimus with a very large weapon in his hand, the barrel of it still smoking. She mentally cheered at this until she was knocked sideways by a blast that hit dangerously closer to her. Whirling to see who had shot at her, she wasn't surprised to see Starscream brandishing his cannons at her. She screamed as she saw Starscream fire at her, but she was knocked flat on the ground by something much larger than her self.

"Barricade- No!" Mikaela cried out. It all seemed to happen in slow motion. She saw the blast from Starscream's missile strike Barricade once, twice, and again and again. She cried out at the brutality, pieces were flying and she scrambled for them, her hands desperately clawing at chunks of white and black metal. She gave a wail as she was grabbed by the waist, and pulled back away from the scene and her hands clawed viciously at the hand that held her.

"Barricade!" Mikaela's shriek pierced the night air, and Barricade turned, his red optics meeting her own blue eyes one more time before Starscream's missile dimmed them. She couldn't look, not anymore. She covered her face, drooping against the hand that held her. There was too much going on, too much flying through the air, too many things happening. She could hear cries and growls of pain as each side took hits, but for now her vision was blurred with tears for Barricade.

"Put me down!" She cried, hands grasping the large one that kept her imprisoned. "I can help him! I can save him!" She brought her fists down angrily on the hand, and she turned to glare at the understanding face of Ironhide.

"He is past saving, Mikaela. We must concentrate now on those who are still alive." He said, turning to face the rest of the battle. Elita and Jazz seemed to be having a hard time of it with Thunderblast, and the battle between Optimus and Megatron seemed never ending. Both of them were leaking that mysterious blue fluid, and Mikaela had a bad feeling that wasn't a good sign.

"Stay near me." Ironhide said, gently setting her on the ground. Mikaela nodded shakily, her heart still bursting in pain for Barricade. She dove for cover as Starscream ran at them, attacking Ironhide and knocking him off his feet. The two engaged in the most angry and vicious fight Mikaela had ever seen. She was temporarily distracted, however, by Megatron landed a few feet from her, various parts of his body smoking. She backed away from him as he sat up in fury. She watched Megatron launch himself back at Optimus, his gun drawn and ready to fire.

"_Optimus_!" Mikaela shrieked. She watched in mute horror as Megatron fired directly at Optimus, the blast taking Optimus up off of his feet and sending him crashing backwards where he landed on his back, unmoving.


	34. Chapter 34

I changed Elita's weapon around a bit, leaving it the same but at the same time switching it up a bit. Enjoy, this is one of the last chapters -cries- I kind of rushed it, but I think it came out at least okay. Meh.

* * *

Tears that were streaking down her cheeks blinded Mikaela. She tore off at a run towards the fallen leader, but Ironhide scooped her up again. She fought against the crushing grip Ironhide now had on her, desperately needing to get to Optimus. She could see his chest was smoking, and she just knew his spark had been hit. She didn't have much time. She clawed and screamed and fought and wailed but Ironhide wouldn't let her go.

"No, Mikaela! He'll have died in vain if Megatron gets you we must GO!" Ironhide growled at her, turning to the others who were regrouping in shock. The Decepticons had also regrouped, gathering around Megatron. Each side had suffered serious damages, and now losses. The Decepticons no longer had Shortround or Lugnutz; the Arcee, Bumblebee, and Barricade had taken them down.

"I can save him!" She shrieked, pounding on Ironhide. "But you must let me get to him now!" Mikaela couldn't breath. She had to get to Optimus. She had to. She could save him and she knew it, she just needed _time_. Time they didn't have, time that was ticking slowly, each second lengthening into minutes. Everything was moving in slow motion, her screams and cries echoed throughout the night, vibrating through Autobot and Decepticon alike. She could see Megatron hovering over Optimus, a cruel grin on his face as he lifted his guns to totally destroy Optimus beyond even Mikaela's repair.

"No!" Mikaela heard a hoarse scream, and Megatron whirled around, glaring at the intrusion. It was Elita.

"Fools." Megatron snarled at them, his weapon aimed at Optimus still. Elita's right hand twitched at Mikaela, whose hands flew to her head as Elita's message screamed into her mind.

"_I will buy you time. Save him_." The connection was gone before Mikaela could respond. Mikaela watched in mute curiosity as Elita closed her blue optics, her whole body shimmering.

"Elita! No!" Arcee cried out, and ran towards her. She was caught by Bumblebee, who was shaking his head in wonder. "It will kill her." Arcee wailed, her hands clawing at Bumblebee. Elita had been Arcee's friends for as long as Arcee could remember. Elita was her leader, her mentor, and her friend. "Elita…my leader…" Arcee whimpered before giving in and leaning heavily against Bumblebee. Jazz reached out and gently took Arcee from Bumblebee, and Arcee fell into a heap against him, burying her head in his shoulder. She couldn't look; she refused to watch her longtime friend and commander die.

Elita was glowing blue now, and she threw her head back with a scream. Mikaela felt a strange sensation in her body, it felt as though every molecule was slowing down, and as she looked around, she realized everything WAS slowing down, except the Autobots and herself. She stared at Elita who was still shimmering in a strange and eerie blue light, then to the Decepticons who were not moving at all. She realized quickly what Elita had done. She had stopped time long enough for Mikaela to help Optimus.

"Run, run, run…" Mikaela muttered to herself, as she took off again. Her legs carried her to Optimus, who still wasn't moving. She fell to her knees beside him, and she realized with unabashed horror that he was still coherent, and in tremendous pain.

"Oh, Optimus…" Mikaela cried softly, her tears splashing onto his blue armor. The damage was severe, but she could repair it with the time Elita had given her. Mikaela worked rapidly, trying to ignore the Optimus' occasional cries of pain. She could feel the power within her welling up and threatening to overtake her as it had tried to do with Jazz. She fought it back; she was in control, not the shard. Little tendrils of pure blue energy whipped through Optimus' body as she worked, repairing the wounds and repairing the spark casing. She paid no mind to what went on around her, she only knew she had limited time to work with and no tools.

"Mikaela…" Optimus groaned, and she shook her head, silencing him.

"You're going to be ok." Mikaela said through her tears. "I…I got here in time." She said, swallowing with difficulty. If she lost him…no, that wasn't even acceptable. There would be no 'losing' him. She paid no mind to Ratchet dropping by her side and working on what he could. It seemed as though Elita had stopped time for an eternity, but in reality it was only for very short time. Mikaela had worked as fast as she could, repairing what she was able in the short amount of time she had been gifted with. Either way, Elita had given her enough time to save him, and at least get him moving and away from danger. She fell back, exhausted, watching as Ratchet helped Optimus to his feet. She saw his optics narrow as he saw the stock still Decepticons.

"How…" He murmured, then blanched as he saw Elita encased in a blue fiery energy. "Elita…" He said quietly, and her face turned towards him. She gave him a nod, and he felt his head explode with her message.

"_Get her and yourself out of here. Leave the rest of them to me._" Her voice reverberated through his mind, her emphasis on them as she inclined her head towards the still Decepticons. He reached down, scooping up a protesting Mikaela. He knew what Elita's weapon could do, and what it would do to her. He gave a nod to the other Autobots who had gathered around him, the Decepticons forgotten for the moment.

"Get out of here. She's going to use it." He said with a growl, and he gave Ratchet a forceful push, causing the yellow medic to stumble back. "NOW." Optimus hissed, and Ratchet obeyed, shoving Arcee and Jazz away. The Autobot's took off at a run, Ratchet at the front, Arcee and Jazz hand in hand, Ironhide now carrying a wounded Chromia, Bumblebee hefting a very scared but alive Sam in his left hand. Only Optimus and Mikaela were left now, and Optimus knelt, allowing her to climb on his hand.

"Optimus…" Mikaela whispered as she pressed her face to his warm hand. Warm tears drizzled down her cheeks, splashing onto his hand. "I thought I lost you…" She felt his hand constrict slightly against her, and she looked up into his face.

"Never, Mikaela." He said, his voice a slew of emotions. "We must get out of here." He said, as he turned and began to run.

"What about…Barricade?" Mikaela asked hesitantly, tears threatening to overcome her once more. Optimus had caught a view of Barricade out of the corner of his eye, and shook his head, each step taking them farther and farther from the scene. She gripped his hand for support; he was running faster than she had ever seen him run. An uneasy feeling was in the pit of her stomach.

"He's gone Mikaela. When a 'bot is that severely damaged…there's no bringing them back."

"I…I could try…" She said haltingly, though she knew it was futile. It was probably similar to attempting to bring a human back from the dead.

"He is in pieces, Mikaela." Optimus said shortly as he ran. Mikaela winced at his words, and she cried quietly for several moments, privately mourning her fallen hero.

"What about Elita?" Mikaela cried out as she realized not everyone had made it away from the base, but her question went unanswered as a sonic boom exploded from behind them. The waves crashed forth from the site where Elita was, the explosion was more powerful than an atomic bomb. She felt Optimus speed up, and she could see the others in the distance ahead of them, sprinting for safety. The blast was threatening to over take them, and she screamed as she felt the energy lapping at their heels. She felt Optimus give a roar, and finally threw himself to the ground, sheltering her from the blast. Mikaela cowered beneath Optimus, her hands covering and protecting her head as she saw bits of shrapnel fly by them. She felt Optimus shaking with the energy of the blast, and she could hear metal groaning in protest as the waves threatened to overtke him and rip him from her.

As suddenly as it had started, it was all over. Mikaela was shaking as Optimus stood up, looking around.

"Is everyone ok?" Mikaela shouted, looking for the others. She couldn't see much, the dust hadn't settled yet, and she was starting to panic. No one was answering her, and she scrambled over to Optimus, who was staring into the cloud of dust that the blast had come from.

"Good bye, Elita…" Mikaela thought she heard Optimus speak, but she was distracted by the arrival of the other dust-covered Autobots. Mikaela ran to Arcee, who knelt and enveloped Mikaela in an awkward robot/human hug. Mikaela stepped back, staring at the others in front of her, tears running down her cheeks. They had all fought, taking damages and wounds all for her.

"Thank you. Thank you all…" Mikaela whispered, and they stared down at her, all eyes focused on her. Bumblebee knelt down in front of her, and reached out to touch her cheek gently. Sam scrambled down from his grip, and wrapped Mikaela in a bear hug.

"As long as I'm around, I'll always be here to help you and protect you." Sam said quietly in her ear. He released her, and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Always. Okay?" He said, giving her a slight shake. Mikaela nodded mutely, the salty tears leaving tracks in the dust on her face.

"As will I." Bumblebee spoke, and Sam grinned up at him.

"We all will." Chromia stated, her arms wrapped around Ironhide's neck as he cradled the wounded female in his arms. Ratchet, who stood next to Ironhide, nodded his agreement.

"Always." Arcee said with a sad smile, and Jazz squeezed her hand. Mikaela stared at Arcee with a small smile, then turned to Optimus.

"Where…where is Elita?" Mikaela asked, afraid to hear the answer. Optimus looked away from her, and she heard Chromia and Arcee both give heavy sighs.

"Elita activated her most powerful weapon to stop the Decepticons. It stops time, but it comes with a heavy price." Ratchet said quietly. "It is a self destruct weapon, once activated it cannot be reversed. That blast you heard was the weapons final effect." Ratchet paused, his head bowing slightly. "In activating her weapon, she doomed herself. She gave you enough time to help Optimus, and she gave us enough time to clear out before she blew the Decepticon's to smithereens." Ratchet said, and Mikaela winced at the bluntness. Barricade was included in that description. Elita had given her life to save them all, to save Mikaela. There was a moment of silence between everyone in honor of Elita's sacrifice for them all.

"We…lost a great leader today." Arcee said, her voice cracking mid-sentence. The others nodded in agreement with her. Chromia was set gently down by Ironhide, and she made her way over to Arcee, wrapping an arm around her.

"We must see if the Decepticons are truly destroyed." Optimus said quietly, his emotions threatening to overtake him. He turned, and made his way back to the area that Elita had destroyed. It was a long way, and it was done in silence as the small army of Autobots and two humans walked. Arcee and Chromia reached it first, both falling to a head and clutching each other at the place where Elita had stood. There was nothing now except bare ground and rocks. Arcee shakily reached out drawing her finger slowly through the sand, making a strange Cybertronian symbol. Chromia added her own mark next to it, and Mikaela watched in silence as the two females bowed their heads in remembrance towards their fallen leader. Mikaela bit her lip as she watched Arcee and Chromia kneeling in silence. She slowly walked over to the two, kneeling next to Arcee. She reached out, shakily drawing her own symbol in the sand next to Arcee and Chromia's. They looked at her in surprise, then down to her symbol.

"What does it mean?" Arcee said, staring at the mark, not bothering to run scans on it.

"Courage." Mikaela said softly, her finger tracing the last mark in the lettering. Arcee nodded, placing a large hand on Mikaela's back, then stared up at the stars.

"Optimus. I can find no remains of any of the Decepticons." Jazz said, coming up beside Optimus' arm. The tall leader tore his gaze from the three females, and looked down at his first lieutenant, giving a sad nod. Elita's blow had likely taken them all out. Barricades remains were nowhere to be found, all Decepticons that had been near would have been turned to dust by the blast.

Mikaela stood, moving away from Arcee and Chromia towards Optimus, who knelt beside her, allowing her to climb onto his hand.

"We're going to need a new base." Ironhide said gruffly, gesturing to the now empty space behind them.

"Then we will build a new one." Optimus said as he clapped Ironhide on the back. "A better one." Ironhide glared at his leader with affection, then turned his attention to Chromia who had limped back to him. Optimus turned to face them all, Mikaela on his shoulder.

"There is no guarantee that the Decepticons are dead. We must always be on guard, always protecting and watching. Elita has sacrificed herself, and we must all remember that during our quest. Our mission was once to protect the Allspark with everything we could give. Our mission now is to protect this young human, our new Allspark." Optimus spoke to them all, his voice soft and serious. "With her, the possibilities are endless. Perhaps we can even return life to Cybertron." Mikaela saw the hope brimming in everyone's expectant eyes, and she vowed right then and there to do everything within her power to make it happen.


	35. Epilogue

_Epilogue_

It was months later, after the battle, after tears had been shed and after the sorrows of loss were washed away with the coming of a new day that things finally seemed to have a sense of…normality to them. Things would never be normal for Mikaela; she would always be watching, waiting, living in fear. She understood this and had taken it upon herself to deal with the issues that would arise and had arisen from her new status with the Autobots.

It was a hot day, and she had stuck one of her burned CD's into Optimus' CD player. She knew he hated that, but she did it anyway. The music seemed perfect for the hot day, as well as for the irony that her mate was a robotic organism that turned into a truck.

_So if you feel me let me know, know, know  
Come on now what you waiting for, for, for  
My engine's ready to explode, explode, explode  
So start me up and watch me go, go, go…_

"You know I hate those things." Optimus grumbled to her. She simply ignored him, her hands flicking the seats in admonishment.

The sun was beating down on her, tingling against her skin and threatening to send her into a deep stasis. Her bare skin was sweating, and her sunglasses threatened to slip from her nose as she leaned back against the hot leather seat. Her soft hands slid along the seams of the vehicles interior as the truck sat peacefully overlooking the valley below them. There had been talk of returning to Cybertron, returning life to the planet, but Optimus had chosen to remain on Earth for a bit longer, giving Mikaela time to adapt and adjust to her changing body on her own planet. She was thankful for that, the changes her body had been through were taxing, and going to an alien _planet_ would be a little over the top. At least, it would be right away. Her hands slid over the seats, caressing the leather beneath her hands, her lips softening into a smile.

"Tease." Optimus' voice cut through her thoughts, and she had to laugh. She leaned forward and pressed a kiss to the dashboard, and she felt the weight of the semi shudder beneath her. She grinned and slid her bikini clad body upright against the seat, hands splayed across the leather.

"Am I?" She asked quietly, and she gave a muffled yelp as the engine gunned loudly, and she laughed as his holoform appeared. He mock glared at her, then lept from the drivers seat over to her, pinning her below him. He stared down at her, looking at her appreciatively.

"Indeed." He said as he eyed her speculatively. She just smiled up at him, slim fingers sliding up his arms and tangling in his hair. She jerked him down to her until their lips were barely touching.

"Shut up and kiss me." She said, her breath hot on his lips. He lifted a brow, but obeyed her command, always giving in to her.

_My engine's ready to explode, explode, explode  
So start me up and watch me go, go, go…_

He broke their kiss first, his solid hologram shaking with the intensity. She looked up at him, her clear blue eyes searching his face, and when she spoke, her voice was low and husky.

"Remember what I told you last time you stopped…?" She asked, but was quickly silenced by soft lips and tender hands.

In the background, her CD changed songs and played quietly, though drowned out by their cries of passion.

_I wondered through fiction to look for the truth  
Buried beneath all the lies  
And I stood at a distance  
To feel who you are  
Hiding myself in your eyes_

_And hold on before it's too late  
Until we leave this behind  
Don't fall just be who you are  
It's all that we need in our lives_

_And the risk that might break you  
Is the one that would save  
A life you dont live is still lost  
So stand on the edge with me  
Hold back your fear and see  
Nothing is real til it's gone_

_And hold on before its too late  
Until we leave this behind  
Don't fall just be who you are_

_It's all that we need in our lives_

_So live like you mean it  
Love til you feel it  
It's all that we need in our lives  
So stand on the edge with me  
Hold back your fear and see  
Nothing is real til it's gone_

_Hold on before its too late  
Until we leave this behind  
Don't fall just be who you are  
It's all that we need in our lives_

_Hold on before its too late  
Until we leave this behind  
Don't fall just be who you are  
It's all that we need in our lives_

_It's all that we need in our lives  
It's all that I need in my life._


End file.
